A new year brings resolutions, promises and a fresh start for many. For Minnesota, the new year also ushers in new laws. These laws cover a wide range of topics, from healthcare and education to environmental protection and public safety. All of these laws were implemented Jan. 1. 

For the 22% of high school students who have a part-time job, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Minnesota’s new minimum wage law could be beneficial. Before 2025, minimum wage was set at $10.85 an hour. This year, it has gone up 2.6%, now set at $11.13. This wage is mandatory, whether employees receive tips or not. In other words, employers cannot use tips to compensate for a lower wage. In addition, the 90-day minimum training wage, which applies to employees under age 20, is now $9.08, up from $8.85 in 2024.  

Students are excited about this new policy. “I think it’s a step in the right direction,” said senior Maeve Wahlberg.

Minnesota also passed a law targeting “junk fees,” banning them completely. Junk fees are extra charges added to bills at restaurants and to goods and services without clear justification. This law aims to increase transparency and fairness for consumers. The goal is to prevent unexpected costs that can surprise diners at the end of their meal or consumers when they reach the checkout. The law requires all restaurants to post charges or fees on menus and signs, ensuring consumers know how much they are paying. Sales taxes are exempt from this law, as they are government imposed.

Another law banning extra fees is the Ticketing Fairness Act, which requires “all-in pricing,” meaning that ticket purchases cannot include hidden or added-at-the-end fees. It bans sellers from deceptive marketing and advertising prices that are not finalized. For students who buy tickets often, this is an exciting development. “I’ve spent over $1,500 on hidden fees just on Ticketmaster alone, and I was very excited to see that something’s actually happening,” said sophomore Madeline Webster.

The law also aims to prevent bots from purchasing tickets in bulk — a practice that makes it more difficult for individual buyers to get concert tickets and drives up prices. Furthermore, this law hopes to protect consumers by mandating proof of purchase and refund policy details be provided within a day of the purchase.

Minnesota has instituted new laws regarding healthcare which aim to improve public health and protect consumers. One of these laws is the paid parental leave policy, which provides 20 hours of paid sick leave for pregnant women to attend physical check-ups and medical procedures.This law also covers those who plan to be pregnant, want to check if they are or want to get an abortion. 

The new employment transparency law in 2025 is a game-changer for people seeking jobs, requiring employers to include salaries, overtime and benefits in job postings. “It sounds good because you can get more information from companies about what they [have to offer],” said senior Seila Mustafic. The purpose of this new law is to improve wage equality by reducing pay secrecy, identifying and reducing pay gaps and providing future employees with more job information. Overall, this new transparency law is a step in the right direction towards creating a more equitable and transparent job market. 

The base rate for unemployment tax increased from 0.1% to 0.4%, raising unemployment taxes for most employers, based on tax contributions. New employer tax rates range from 1% to 8.9%, and experienced employer rates from 0.4% to 8.9%. Starting Jan. 1, unemployment taxes pay each employee, which increased by $1,000 from 2024.