It took Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) five legislative sessions to enact his first veto Thursday, which included denying pay rises and job protections to rideshare drivers. Walz claimed in a press release that despite rideshare drivers deserving “fair wages and safe working conditions,” the measure “is not the right bill to achieve these goals.” Instead, he issued an executive order to create a commission exploring new rideshare legislation next year. “I have spent my career fighting for workers, and I will continue to work with drivers, riders, and rideshare companies to address the concerns that this bill sought to address.” The governor made the announcement after Uber said it would pull out of Minnesota—except for the Twin Cities metro area—if the bill were allowed to pass, according to the Star Tribune.
Today, we saw the power corporations hold on our government despite the trifecta. After a year of stakeholder engagement, passing all required committees in both chambers, and both floors, the governor has vetoed the bill to improve working conditions for Uber/Lyft drivers.
