Well, I didn’t see this coming.  As I wrote about earlier today, the group 15 Now MN petitioned the City of Minneapolis to amend its Charter to require a $15 minimum wage by 2020 for larger employers, and by 2022 for small employers. The City of Minneapolis Attorney publicly filed her memorandum today, declaring that the proposed charter amendment was really an ordinance in disguise, as the charter does not allow voter initiatives for the passage of ordinances by a ballot referendum. If the City Council does not listen to her advice, and places it on the ballot anyway, her draft ballot question can be found here.

Interestingly, the City Attorney noted that the memorandum did not address whether the City even has the authority through legislative action of the City Council to adopt such an ordinance that is higher than state law.  She noted such question was addressed in a separate memorandum subject to the attorney-client privilege.  Thus, the fight is clearly not over.