On Friday, March 15, rideshare apps Uber and Lyft reiterated concerns that the City Council’s new earned wage floor legislation would force the apps to leave the Twin Cities, making Minneapolis the only metro region in the U.S. without such service. The new legislation, which requires the rideshare apps to pay a high per-mile wage to drivers, was previously vetoed by Mayor Jacob Frey over concerns that the legislation went too far. On Thursday, the Minneapolis City Council overrode the mayor’s veto.

“This bill is a jobs and transportation killer for the Twin Cities,” said Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich. “Even if Uber and Lyft were to remain in Minneapolis, rideshare prices under this legislation would spike, crippling demand and eliminating work opportunities for drivers. For workers, riders, and for local businesses, the state legislature needs to step in and set some ground rules that keep rideshare alive for the Twin Cities.”

During consideration of the rideshare legislation, Chamber of Progress urged the Minneapolis City Council not to move forward with the bill over concerns about reduced work opportunities and transportation inaccessibility. For more on how Minneapolis’s new rideshare legislation threatens to impact workers, riders, and traffic, check out this week’s blog post from Chamber of Progress Policy Director Ruth Whittaker. 

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Chamber of Progress (progresschamber.org) is a center-left tech industry policy coalition promoting technology’s progressive future.  We work to ensure that all Americans benefit from technological leaps, and that the tech industry operates responsibly and fairly.  

Our corporate partners do not have a vote on or veto over our positions. We do not speak for individual partner companies and remain true to our stated principles even when our partners disagree.