Legislative update

Dear Neighbor,

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled biological males have the right to compete in female athletics. While I am not completely surprised by our court’s interpretation of state law, it is very concerning because it threatens the safety of girls and undermines fair play.

House Republicans introduced a pair of bills earlier this year to provide clear protections for female athletes and ensure fairness in competition, but House Democrats blocked them from passing. The Preserving Girls Sports Act (H.F. 12) specifically states that only female students may participate in school sports restricted on the basis of sex to women or girls. I co-authored this legislation.

People I talk with just don’t get how it’s considered acceptable for biological males to compete in girls’ sports. Polls show around 80 percent of people agree with the bill’s position, which is why we authored language to provide clarification in state law. Instead, by blocking it, the other side is putting girls at risk and rolling back decades of progress made through Title IX. And now, the Supreme Court has proven our concerns to be valid, underscoring how important it is for us to clarify state law.

A quick internet search turns up many stories where girls competing against biological males in women’s sports have been hurt, including everything from concussions to losing teeth. And a United Nations report found that female athletes around the world have lost almost 900 medals to transgender men competing in their events.

Here’s the good news: House Republicans tabled the Preserving Girls Sports Act after Democrats voted against it, keeping the legislation available for consideration in the 2026 session – along with the similarly themed H.F. 1233.

In the meantime, the door remains open for biological males to continue participating in girls sports – as confirmed by the Supreme Court. Its Wednesday ruling was in Cooper v. USA Powerlifting, where it found that USA Powerlifting discriminated against a transgender athlete by banning her from women's events under the Human Rights Act. However, the court sent the case back to a lower court to decide if a “competitive fairness” defense could be a valid exception.

District visits

Here are just a few of the people I've recently met with in our district:

Stearns County Sheriff’s Office swearing in and award ceremony

Ribbon cutting of the new Xcel plant n Waite Park with Mayor and County Commissioner

Minnesota Dealership of the Year - Gilleland of St. Cloud

Ox and Friends

Swearing in new St. Cloud firefighters

Preparing for new worker leave program

Minnesota employers are bracing for the impacts of Minnesota’s new paid leave program once it is launched this Jan. 1. You may remember earlier this year we received news that the payroll tax rate for the new Paid Family Medical Leave program will be 25 percent higher than the Democrats’ 2023 enacting legislation included.

This translates to a $300-$350 million tax increase on employers and employees – a grand total of $1.55 billion next year alone. This is a major toll on local businesses, especially on top of the sick time law that was passed under the former one-party control.  The new program was rushed into enactment and there could be a rocky launch.

In any case, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is reminding employers of the three steps they need to take to meet their responsibilities under the upcoming Paid Leave program:

Step One: Set up Your Paid Leave Administrator Accounts Now

Before launch, employers must set up their Employer Account, designate a Paid Leave Administrator within their Employer Account and create an Administrator Account with Paid Leave.

1. Go to uimn.org to register for an Employer Account. Most employers will already have one. This account will be used to submit wage detail reports and pay Paid Leave premiums.
2. Employers must designate a Paid Leave Administrator in their Employer Account by following this step-by-step guide. This person will be the main point of contact between the organization and Minnesota Paid Leave.
3. Employers must also create a Paid Leave Administrator Account at paidleave.mn.gov. This account is where administrators review leave applications and view Paid Leave determinations.

Step Two: Notify Employees

By Dec. 1, employers must notify their employees about the Paid Leave program’s launch. Employers are required to both hang a Paid Leave poster and inform employees individually.

1. Posters must be displayed where employees can easily see them and must be posted in English and any other language that is primary for five or more workers.
2. Employees must be notified individually in their primary language, and employees must acknowledge that they have received the information. This can be done by signing a form, acknowledging receipt electronically or in another way decided by the employers.
3. Posters and notices can be downloaded from the For Employers page on the Paid Leave site.

Step Three: Customize Paid Leave to Your Workplace

By Jan. 1, employers should also make important decisions about how to set up their individual workplace policies under Paid Leave, including deciding how to split program premiums, deciding whether to offer supplemental payments to “top off” Paid Leave payments for employees taking leave and other items. Details on these and other policies can be found on the Paid Leave site's For Employers page.

To learn more about Paid Leave, visit the Paid Leave website.

Please Contact Me

It’s an honor and privilege to work for you at the Capitol. Don’t hesitate to contact my office at any time this session to share your thoughts, concerns or ideas. You can call me at 651-296-6316, or email me at rep.bernie.perryman@house.mn.gov. I am here to serve you!

Bernie