Starting January 1, 2025, Minnesotans will experience a suite of new laws. From the purchase of event tickets to renter's rights—several sectors are set to be transformed by the state's legislative updates.
New consumer protection laws will notably alter the online ticket sales landscape. As reported by KARE 11, the Ticketing Fairness Act requires "all-in pricing", effectively eliminating surprise fees and ensuring that customers are aware of the total cost upfront. This act also targets deceitful practices by insisting on clear disclosure of a reseller's status and bans the use of bots for ticket hoarding.
Speaking of transparency, another law poised to eliminate hidden costs comes as a crackdown on "junk fees." According to CBS News Minnesota, this law prohibits businesses from tacking on extraneous charges to advertised prices. These consumer laws aim to make financial transactions clearer, and, in the language of DFL Sen. Lindsay Port, "ensure transparent pricing so consumers can make informed decisions about how to spend their hard-earned money."
In the realm of employment, Minnesotans can expect shifts toward greater clarity and fairness. A new mandate will require employers to include salary ranges in job postings, and as such, enhance pay equity, Leonard Lang, a career coach with Beard Avenue Coaching explained to CBS News Minnesota "It'll build more trust, I think, between the employers and the job applicants." Additionally, the state’s minimum wage will undergo an inflationary adjustment to a uniform rate of $11.13 per hour, challenging the previously scaled system based on employer size as noted by KARE 11.
A significant extension of the cold weather rule now encompasses shared utility billing, effectively safeguarding against electricity and natural gas shutoffs in the frigid Minnesota months. Moreover, landlords must now find alternative lodgings or offer lease termination options if construction delays impede tenant move-ins. CBS News Minnesota adds that landlords will also be barred from retaliating against tenants seeking to form associations.
Gun control also finds its way into the new legislation. The new year rings in a definitive ban on "binary triggers" on firearms and escalates the act of making a straw purchase to a felony offense.
