SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, Governor Tim Walz issued a veto to legislation that would have provided rideshare drivers a minimum wage and basic worker protections. The legislation was one of the House, Senate People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus priority bills.
The Minnesota House and Senate People of Color and Indigenous Caucus issued the following statement:
“We are disappointed in Governor Walz for vetoing the rideshare legislation. Moreover, it is disheartening that the first veto of his term would be against worker protections for BIPOC and immigrant drivers. On a day where we are focused on remembrance, community healing, and recommitting to addressing the inequities in our society, the Governor's veto allows for the further exploitation of these hardworking Minnesotans. This perpetuation of harm will be another memory that will be ingrained in the minds of BIPOC and immigrant workers across our state.
By vetoing the bill, Governor Walz discredited the amount of work legislators, community leaders, and advocates put in to ensure the bill was reflective of worker needs and stakeholders’ concerns. We cannot forgo action to spend more time studying an issue. We know the data, and behind every statistic is a real human being who is living with disparities to provide for their families and in cycles of harm and violence. We don’t need to hear more horror stories from Uber and Lyft drivers and their scared family members to seek improved worker protections for their loved ones.”
The House POCI Caucus is comprised of; Co-Chair Rep. Esther Agbaje (59B), Co-Chair Rep. Cedrick Frazier (43A), Vice Chair Rep. Alicia Kozlowski (08B), Rep. Jamie, Becker-Finn (40B), Rep. Ethan Cha (47B), Rep. Mary Frances Clardy (53A), Rep. Aisha Gomez (62A), Rep. Hodan Hassan (62B), Kaohly Vang Her (64A), Rep. Athena Hollins (66B), Rep. Samakab Hussein (65A), Rep. Heather Keeler (04A), Rep. Fue Lee (59A), Rep. Liz Lee (67A), Rep. Mohamud Noor (60B), Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega (65B), Rep. Ruth Richardson (52B), Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura (63A), Rep. Samantha Vang (38B), and Rep. Jay Xiong (67B).
The signed members of the Senate POCI Caucus are Chair Senator Mary Kunesh (39), Senator Omar Fateh (62), Senator Foung Hawj (67), Senator Alice Mann (50), Senator Erin Maye Quade (56), Senator Zaynab Mohamed (63), Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten (66), Senator Susan Pha (38), and Senator Tou Xiong (44).