Ewald at the Capitol: New Laws Go into Effect

NEW LAWS NOW IN EFFECT

Effective dates for laws passed during a legislative session vary. Some are specified to be effective immediately once a bill is signed by the governor. Most budget bills take effect July 1 to coincide with the start of the new fiscal year and most bills without an effective date take effect August 1.

Some new laws that took effect on August 1 include:

• Harsher penalty for “swatting” — Swatting is the act of faking an emergency aimed at sending law enforcement to the home of a target. The bill passed last session raises swatting from a misdemeanor to a felony.

• Child passenger laws — Children under 13 must be transported in the rear seat of a motor vehicle, where available. In addition, children under the age of 13 are also required to use a child passenger restraint system or booster seat secured with a safety belt.

• New penalties for straw purchases and guns — Straw purchases are when one party purchases a firearm for another party who is ineligible to purchase or possess one. Under the new provisions, the penalty for such an action increases from a misdemeanor to a felony.

• New Compliance Obligations for Employers — These include new provisions related to employee wages and earnings such as:

  • While the new paid family and medical leave law will not take effect until January 1, 2026, starting on August 1, 2024, pregnant workers can take prenatal medical leave without counting against their twelve weeks of parental leave. Additionally, employers must offer the same health benefits during pregnancy and parental leave, contributing to the health benefits as if the employee were working.

  • Employers now need to pay workers the full amount of tips received by card or electronic payment, rather than subtracting a swipe fee first.

  • Employers now have to keep pay stubs for at least three years.

• Rights for Parents with Disabilities — Prohibits a court from denying a prospective adoptive parent the ability to proceed with an adoption due to the prospective parent’s disability.

These are just some of the many laws that took effect as of August 1. For all new laws taking effect, you can view a more complete list here.

ELECTION UPDATES

On August 8, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate and candidate for Vice President. This marks the first time since 1984 that a Minnesotan has been on a presidential ticket. The announcement came just two weeks after Vice President Harris announced her candidacy for president.

If the Harris/Walz ticket wins in November, the following would take place:

1. Gov. Walz would resign to take on the role of Vice President of the United States.

2. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan would then immediately be sworn in as Minnesota’s governor.

3. The most recent President of the Minnesota Senate (Sen. Bobby Joe Champion – DFL, Minneapolis) would in turn become the new Lieutenant Governor.

Some additional considerations:

1. At the beginning of the legislative session on January 14, 2025, the Senate must elect a president of the senate as they organize themselves for the new biennium. It could be Sen. Champion, but it could be another member.

2. A special election could change the majority in the Minnesota Senate — right now, with Sen. Kelly Morrison having resigned her seat to run for Congress, the Senate is tied 33/33.

3. There is precedent where the President of the Senate does not resign their seat — Michelle Fischbach held both positions until the end of the legislative session in 2018. It is unclear whether Sen. Champion would follow that same pattern.

You can also see this interview with Minnesota Senate President Bobby Joe Championwhere he laid out what would happen if Gov. Walz wins and assumes the position of Vice President.

As a reminder, voters will head to the polls in November to vote for several races — including President, U.S. Senator for Minnesota, all 8 members of Minnesota’s U.S. House of Representatives delegation, and all 134 Minnesota House of Representatives districts. The Minnesota state senate is not up for election this year, but a special election will be held in Senate District 45, where Kelly Morrison resigned the state senate to run for U.S. Congress in the Third Congressional district.

Some important election dates to remember:  

June 28–August 12: Vote early by mail or in person for the August 13 primary elections 

August 13: Primary Election Day 

September 20 through November 5: Vote by mail or in person  

November 5: Election Day 

For more voting information such as how to vote, where to vote, and other questions you may have you can visit the Secretary of State’s website here. 

The Ewald Consulting Government Relations team has compiled a list of candidate filings. To find more detailed information in the races up for election, you can visit this candidate filings list.