DFL lawmakers advance rideshare plan despite Uber, Lyft pushback

Minnesota Now

A DFL plan designed to boost pay for rideshare drivers in Minnesota without driving away Uber and Lyft got its first public airing Tuesday at the Capitol. While drivers applauded the bill, Uber and Lyft said it still won’t work for them.

The plan would set both Minneapolis and statewide wages for drivers at $1.27 per mile and $0.49 per minute. Those rates are lower than those approved as part of a new Minneapolis city ordinance. City officials, though, backed the proposed compromise, and a Minnesota House committee advanced the proposal with members voting along party lines.

Even as the plan moved forward, officials with Uber and Lyft said the companies still expect to leave the Twin Cities region on July 1. The disagreement leaves about two weeks before the Legislature’s adjournment to refine the proposal or see if Uber and Lyft follow through with threats to leave the Twin Cities.