The Minneapolis City Council voted Thursday to implement tougher wage theft laws.
The state legislature did the same thing, approving what many believe are the harshest laws in the nation by upgrading the wage theft penalty to a felony, but councilmember Linea Palmisano says protections for workers at the local level are significant.
"We've been criticized that it's duplicative," she said. "It's more complicated than that. We would not have any ability to enforce the state wage theft law in our city except to direct them to the state."
The law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2010, will require employers to provide straightforward wage statements in writing while also giving workers an "additional avenue to recover unpaid wages through enforcement by the City’s Civil Rights Department."
Henry Scott, a temporary worker who says he's been a victim of wage theft, says he's encouraged by the worker-led effort, similar to the support that pushed the minimum wage law through.
"Growing up where I come from, you grow up thinking there's nothing you can do about it," he said. "When you become a part of seeing something like this come together, it changes your faith.
Workers say they're now focused on enforcement.
Meanwhile, the city council also approved an ordinance banning new drive-thrus.
Councilmembers said drive-thrus contribute to noise pollution and traffic, while also making areas less pedestrian-friendly.
"We're not closing any of the current drive-thrus, but rather regulating where new ones can occur," Councilmember Andrea Jenkins said.
Councilmember Lisa Bender says they've heard concerns from folks with disabilities.
"They had some other ideas that were really more falling under federal ADA law that the city was not able to implement locally," she said. "But I think that dialogue is still open. Their idea was how we could encourage businesses to be more accessible and create more opportunities for delivery service or other ways for folks to have access."
City leaders say Minneapolis is the first city of its size with this kind of drive-thru law. New drive-thrus were already banned in much of the city's zoning districts, but this law covers what was left.