Appeals court upholds $15 Minneapolis minimum wage

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Court of Appeals has upheld a $15 an hour Minneapolis minimum wage ordinance.

The court affirmed the ordinance in a divided opinion Monday.

Graco Inc. contended the ordinance was pre-empted by Minnesota’s minimum wage law. The company asked a judge to stop the ordinance from going into effect in 2017. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce also was part of the lawsuit, but withdrew.

A judge ruled in favor of the city last summer. Graco appealed, and Appeals Court Judge Renee Worke wrote the decision affirming that the city’s law is valid. The Star Tribune reports Appeals Court Judge Matthew Johnson dissented.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey praised the ruling, saying the ordinance “is here to stay.”

The $15 minimum wage will be phased in over the next several years.