On Friday, Oct. 24, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its ruling in the injunction on the lawsuit brought in Minnesota Chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors, et al. v. Blissenbach. This case is related to the new fourteen point independent contractor test for Minnesota’s construction industry.
The Ruling
The Eighth Circuit upheld the lower court’s decision denying the request for an injunction against Minnesota’s independent contractor law passed as part of the large omnibus bill in the waning hours of the 2024 legislative session. While the court agreed the plaintiffs had standing, it ruled that they were unlikely to prevail on the constitutional claims.
What It Means
The law remains in effect and is now fully enforceable. The State can pursue both civil and criminal penalties for worker misclassification.
What’s Next?
The case has been sent back to the district court for further evaluation.
