[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6331073,"mediaKeyId","2313134-1928ed488c5288e2d46776aedd028353","parentId",2313134,"title","Senators hear competing views on bill to ban non‑gratuity restaurant surcharges; bill laid on table","audioSeconds",308,"startMs",3614000,"endMs",3922000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2313134-1928ed488c5288e2d46776aedd028353&start=3614&end=3922","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2313134-1928ed488c5288e2d46776aedd028353/thumbnail_3614000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6331073/Minnesota/Senators-hear-competing-views-on-bill-to-ban-nongratuity-restaurant-surcharges-bill-laid-on-table","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6331073-d39bfe1b3677c689c983eedd44bb9c68/orig.mp4?Expires=1773466749&Signature=Ln~MzBPnNone1nfSWrvNDeKXKUuMqsw9WSCyQgREws7OaBtuMuZvE8vpzq4GziB97i9PnQZ5jwFF9ayEOY6zm2x5eb~sg5-5jZE47r1moJhRkQxjEaXaNoid1vE9yG17eiG9t7~uFd-NQ8WZV2CDBpICtk8MZmq7~-S30qOLIOhuartM7HF7A61eKkq-y~f1RE6PeWUbgSUjqmEm75ipTwjGMaTAv4U9UN8Rbr4OIs~d8BhGQ3Y5LootuGTOxGpZ8ZzneyBDinvFwI0TGB23~XghmnWTNsYUfizod2lbZUnO2~fYL3hXNZktH4kT6vNLRGBTTksgTyOvmXCSDefk0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Senate Media Services","date","2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate heard testimony on Senate File 258, a bill to prohibit non‑gratuity surcharges on restaurant bills. Proponents said the measure protects consumers from surprise charges; opponents said it would remove an important tool restaurants use to cover operating costs and equalize wages between front‑ and back‑of‑house staff.

Ron Elwood of Legal Aid said the bill protects consumers by preventing surprise pricing and ensuring menu prices reflect the amount customers actually pay.

Mike Dean of Northstar Prosperity, a consumer group, argued disclosure alone is insufficient and said, “The only fair way to price meals is by ensuring that the price listed on the menu is the price the customer actually pays.” He urged the committee to build on Minnesota’s emerging price‑transparency laws by banning hidden surcharges.

Restaurant owners and industry groups testified in opposition. David Benowitz, president of Craft & Crew Hospitality, said the recent price‑transparency law already requires fees to be included in displayed total prices and warned the proposed ban would restrict operators’ ability to use service fees that fund wages and benefits: “Restaurants are trying to be compliant with this law while also keeping service fees, health and wellness fees, other service charges to keep employee wages and benefits equitable across staff,” he testified.

Small independent owners emphasized narrow margins and the differential between front‑ and back‑of‑house pay. Chef and owner Helene Ramirez said surcharges and service fees help cover escalating costs and staffing equity and warned that removing them could force small businesses to close. Sandra Weiss, owner of the Finnish Bistro, described credit‑card surcharge revenue as the source for raises and said the bill would remove “the ability to pass on the credit card surcharge that covers the back of the house raises.”

Hospitality Minnesota’s government affairs director, Hannah Zinn, told the committee the FTC concluded in November 2024 that restaurants should be excluded from a broad “junk‑fee” approach because the industry operates across many business models; she asked the legislature not to single restaurants out. Industry witnesses also described Minnesota as an outlier on tip laws — no tip credit, limits on pooling — which they said increases pressure on restaurants to find other mechanisms for front/back equity.

Committee process: Chair Cline said the committee would hear testifiers but then place the bill on the table; the transcript records that Senate File 258 was set aside for further consideration rather than moved immediately for a vote.

Why it matters: The decision affects consumer price transparency and restaurant operating models. Supporters say menu prices should be final and clear; restaurant operators say surcharges help manage credit‑card fees, labor equity and other rising expenses. Senators and witnesses requested more data on how the price‑transparency law and proposed ban would affect small operators and consumers.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection - 02/13/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate committee took testimony on Senate File 258, which would ban non‑gratuity surcharges at restaurants; consumer advocates backed the bill as a consumer‑protection measure, while restaurant owners and industry groups warned it would remove a tool used to cover thin margins and support wage equity.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6331078,"Office of Cannabis Management outlines licensing timeline, testing variance and grants approach ahead of market launch",1531,2079000,3610000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2313134-1928ed488c5288e2d46776aedd028353&start=2079&end=3610","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2313134-1928ed488c5288e2d46776aedd028353/thumbnail_2079000.jpg","/articles/6331078/Minnesota/Office-of-Cannabis-Management-outlines-licensing-timeline-testing-variance-and-grants-approach-ahead-of-market-launch","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6331078-77e9e2e00445ea831bd8d36e700c5384/orig.mp4?Expires=1773466749&Signature=nfDjCRLm~9bDeVAn-P5eplFuRkVS~xMxqm52kZutFcAor5t8KXwE2t2Ud8XuRulZRClxvRwnv0uEJ7DWy3EBjjjXcD3gVFUPB7b~bSCEkByzszbDc4EB8pSv0KKb6E3UTNE-YwS6i9HVGBNatijviG79sUKXpV7ZdTJD3BceSIRTMRurqZC15yE0Tnw-SX73fthUqsVECMAIh74P~sVNxKsNH3qIF7VbOn-RUHQEEV4PvyKqkFenZZ-im35-lEvKO3L~Y3DfQsLkYqx6cx3oUkoQMeARVUszpqZM96HqJ6s1gknxspz9eHm2hTL3Z-rl6FJKTHZMFe9jkYpMaBy6PQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Eric Taubel, interim director of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), briefed the Senate committee on OCM’s budget proposals, implementation milestones and plans for market launch and enforcement.

Taubel described four narrow budget proposals: a modest operating adjustment for agency operations; a budget‑neutral request tied to administration of the CAN Renew community reinvestment grant; a testing‑facility licensing variance to allow non‑ISO‑17025‑certified labs to operate under supervision while they obtain full ISO accreditation; and a small rule change to social equity criteria to count certain adjudications or juvenile records in social equity determinations.

On lab testing, Taubel said ISO 17025 certification can take 12–24 months from start to finish, creating a potential two‑year barrier for new testing labs. The office proposes a variance that would permit testing facilities to apply while under contract with an ISO‑certified partner, provided the applicant demonstrates progress toward certification and follows national testing standards. “If we don't have enough testing capacity, we'll start to see product backlogs,” Taubel said, warning backlogs could delay product availability or push product toward illicit channels.

Taubel described OCM’s operational milestones: the office has grown from about nine staff last year to over 90 full‑time employees today; it acquired permanent office space and developed outreach materials including a local‑government guidebook; it opened a public comment period for initial rules (public comment closed the prior day); it posted a request for proposals for the CAN Renew grant; and it plans to open license applications on Tuesday, Feb. 18 with application windows closing in March and capped‑license lotteries expected in May or June. OCM has moved applicants from a prior preapproval lottery into the full licensing round and offered refunds to applicants who withdrew.

Taubel said the office adopts an “education to compliance” enforcement approach in the hemp‑derived cannabinoid program and reported compliance rose from roughly 35% in early 2024 to about 87% in December 2024 following outreach and inspections. For medical cannabis, OCM reported more than 51,000 registrants and a chronic‑pain research report showing about one‑third of patients reported decreased pain in the first year of medical cannabis use.

On compacting with tribes, Taubel said nation‑to‑nation negotiations fall to the governor’s office and any signed compacts will be published to a public website as required by statute, but OCM will assist with implementation for agencies charged by any compact.

Committee questions covered staffing levels, the length and cost of consultant contracts, revenue collections to date, litigation tied to the preapproval lottery and the reasons OCM shifted from preapproval to a full licensing round. Taubel and his staff said records on tax revenue and consultant contract dates will be provided to the committee. He said the office decided to pivot from the preapproval lottery to general licensing after litigation and because preapproval conveyed timing advantages but not licenses; OCM concluded the broader licensing round was a clearer, fairer path to licensure for all applicants.

Why it matters: OCM’s schedule and rule decisions determine when licensed cannabis businesses can begin operations, which affects applicants, local governments, tribal governments, testing labs and public health oversight. The testing variance and licensing schedule are intended to reduce bottlenecks that could delay legal products reaching the market.","Interim director Eric Taubel told the committee the Office of Cannabis Management will open license applications, pursue a variance to shorten lab onboarding, run a CAN Renew grant program with close controls, and move toward market launch in spring–summer 2025 while continuing rulemaking and compact negotiations with tribes.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6331083,"Commerce commissioner details governor's budget requests: reinsurance, Petro Fund, EV charger testing and staffing needs",1681,392000,2073000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2313134-1928ed488c5288e2d46776aedd028353&start=392&end=2073","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2313134-1928ed488c5288e2d46776aedd028353/thumbnail_392000.jpg","/articles/6331083/Minnesota/Commerce-commissioner-details-governors-budget-requests-reinsurance-Petro-Fund-EV-charger-testing-and-staffing-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6331083-0dfe22273872cc95986cddcc63a6d263/orig.mp4?Expires=1773466749&Signature=hruFMnxMG8xmFHMgs67AHLpu9gKNCtq-CByn4eiW9cBK-KYG66Bbyuyb0MO28f2RULlVPDUXSrN5Saw78TlAu44pYu6w3JLZY-KiiTxPGKCDpNbA~LZ2JONYVKQvSN4BnGSeie9KsuQ9hTjG96ycdiNvpVVtUfGnMkTeIbQsOW58JrC5AO9GhHXIkLcqXMgPROurAyxwKaQ2hyyddvamAxGmNsAAhJYrRneUKjS9Hx~vjp2-4nsEQl5JeOoGtpihKn8mA9fPzIDNUmFOh0qEu6eFWegQ2ahiQVAAJ-LoNzZqpN9R9lgU7IaKF73zSrRquuWoZthidlVv3UdzSaXmjw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioner Grace Arnold of the Minnesota Department of Commerce presented the agency’s priorities and the governor’s budget recommendations to the Senate Commerce Committee, outlining operating requests, regulatory proposals and several targeted fee and staffing changes.

Arnold said the department regulates more than 40 industry areas, oversees 187 state‑chartered banks and 60 state credit unions, supervises insurance filings for individual and small‑group health plans, enforces consumer protection efforts and administers unclaimed property and the Petro Fund. “We’re with you every day, and I’ve started to joke that that’s not in a creepy way,” Arnold told Chair Seaburger and committee members.

She called the premium security (reinsurance) program “proven” and warned funding shortfalls would put the individual market at risk of “premium increases of 25% or more” if not funded. The department proposes a market assessment to fund the program; Arnold said the proposal is structured to be revenue neutral and intended to stabilize premiums and enrollment.

Other budget items described as revenue neutral or narrowly targeted include: a modest operating increase (roughly $3 million general fund request over the biennium) for compensation and IT modernization; an increase to the Petro Fund operating account for database and staffing needs (the Petro Fund has reimbursed roughly $476 million since 1987 and addressed nearly 14,000 leak sites); new staff for securities oversight to expand exam capacity (the department currently has two examiners covering roughly $11 billion in managed assets); licensing and oversight authority for emerging earned‑wage access services; and an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) testing program to bring charging‑port accuracy under the weights‑and‑measures unit with a fee per charging port and one initial FTE (rising to two as ports increase).

Arnold summarized other program work: the department returned nearly $75 million in unclaimed property in 2024, senior fraud investigators opened more than 1,000 cases and placed holds totaling $7.7 million to prevent exploitation, and the enforcement team opened over 9,000 civil investigations last year and recovered roughly $23 million for consumers.

On insurance policy items, Arnold said Commerce will propose updating Minnesota’s benchmark plan for essential health benefits (last updated in 2013) to reflect current market coverage, aim to include certain mandated benefits currently paid for by the state, and submit a revised benchmark to the federal government for coverage beginning January 2027. She listed candidate inclusions as PANS/PANDAS coverage, rapid whole genome sequencing, orthotic and prosthetic devices and some biomarker testing, and said the change could reduce the state’s annual defrayal payments by about $3.9 million beginning in fiscal 2028.

On market and technical bills, Arnold described proposals to: adopt an NAIC group capital model law and liquidity stress test standard used in interstate insurance supervision; adjust the second‑lien mortgage statutory index to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s average prime offer rate; authorize data calls short of a market conduct exam for targeted insurance market monitoring; and create licensing and examination authority for earned‑wage access providers.

Committee members pressed for operational details: Senator Rasmussen asked the dollar value held in the unclaimed property fund (Arnold said she did not have that figure immediately available but would follow up). Several senators pressed on staff counts, remote/field splits, and the exact FTE request tied to EV‑charger testing; Arnold said the Commerce department has about 460 staff systemwide and 22 people in weights and measures, and confirmed the governor’s request totals seven new FTEs in the biennium (six in the first biennium, seven in the second) with a staged approach for EV testing (one FTE initially, two later).

Deputy Commissioner Julia Dreyer clarified, when asked about a “state‑run” auto plan proposal described later in Arnold’s testimony, that the bill under consideration would be an administrative change to reduce intermediary costs for the Minnesota Automobile Insurance Plan and would not change benefit limits or funding mechanisms; she said she would confirm details such as any surcharge rule for the risk pool if requested.

Why it matters: Commerce regulatory and budget choices affect banking and insurance oversight, consumer protections against fraud, public health coverage benchmarks, and nascent areas of commerce such as EV‑charging accuracy and earned‑wage advances. Several proposals are framed as revenue neutral assessments intended to stabilize market functions rather than add general fund spending.

Arnold and staff said they will return later in the session with bill language and additional detail for the committee’s review.","Commissioner Grace Arnold told the Senate committee the Minnesota Department of Commerce seeks targeted, revenue‑neutral assessments and modest operating increases to support reinsurance (premium security), Petro Fund operations, securities‑oversight staffing and EV‑charger testing ahead of 2027 benchmark changes.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6331069,"Committee adopts amendment clarifying dealer participation at auto shows; bill laid over for possible inclusion",180,4597000,4777000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2313134-1928ed488c5288e2d46776aedd028353&start=4597&end=4777","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2313134-1928ed488c5288e2d46776aedd028353/thumbnail_4597000.jpg","/articles/6331069/Minnesota/Committee-adopts-amendment-clarifying-dealer-participation-at-auto-shows-bill-laid-over-for-possible-inclusion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6331069-0bca51f8f6a618ee235305645621c59b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773466749&Signature=fwFF0eZpQFPNxNZkPTQvPmGAKCx0SRPx~-Oda-uirt7wPY961jdj8n7s28wPUfcY6QhKGyMdnvdCbC1XDUovzLDU0DcXVAsIy7rxa6vbQOZJVK7IdWYMMjECD7NyHE6eirVfcywXc0wgHXyn7GKqPM~QhXTrcBAsaNJR7ypKlyr3Ua7xdHPlyRjUS9cEFPqJDFe9udhWWdai5PfzOqm4--QAXZdSmODinZM0sHlQnr2AWXiOWpZAukaIKSc18DM41viI8k83zgk4SIMNicU3QHnKlu6SqzrmRVZGR5kfc37EUAnt4NPX98xA5wULw6FdO7bYz8EqQ1-eqQl3J9eZUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate File 872, a bill to clarify dealer participation in auto shows, was presented by sponsor Senator Dames. The bill would authorize dealers to exhibit vehicles at auto shows under conditions that distinguish exhibiting from selling: vehicles displayed at an auto show may not be offered for sale or lease, labeled for sale, appraised for trade‑ins, or priced other than the manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP). Exhibitors may distribute promotional materials, collect leads and schedule dealership visits.

Senator Rasmussen moved the A2 amendment, which narrowed geographic limits and relaxed certain numeric caps earlier in the draft; Senator Dames accepted the amendment as friendly. The committee adopted the A2 amendment by voice vote and then laid the bill over for possible inclusion.

Amanda Duer of the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association testified in favor, saying that the auto show landscape has shifted from manufacturer‑led displays to dealer participation and that the bill clarifies a dealer’s ability to exhibit without creating a de facto sales location or violating licensing rules that tie vehicle sales to licensed dealer locations. Duer also told senators manufacturers she contacted did not object to the clarification.

Why it matters: The bill clarifies how franchised dealers may participate in promotional auto shows without creating unauthorized sales locations and seeks to preserve consumer protections by prohibiting direct sales, trade‑in appraisals and alternative pricing at show venues. The committee adopted the A2 amendment and laid the measure over for further consideration.","Senate File 872, clarifying dealers may exhibit at auto shows and prohibiting direct sales or trade‑in appraisals at shows, was amended (A2) and the amendment was adopted by voice vote. The bill as amended was laid over for possible inclusion in committee work.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senators hear competing views on bill to ban non‑gratuity restaurant surcharges; bill laid on table

Office of Cannabis Management outlines licensing timeline, testing variance and grants approach ahead of market launch

Commerce commissioner details governor's budget requests: reinsurance, Petro Fund, EV charger testing and staffing needs

Committee adopts amendment clarifying dealer participation at auto shows; bill laid over for possible inclusion