St. Paul Saints management is pushing for the minor league baseball team's 22 players to be exempt from the state's minimum-wage requirements.
A legislative proposal from Sen. Dick Cohen, DFL-St. Paul, would exempt minor league baseball players under Minnesota law, similar to seasonal employees at places like carnivals, ski facilities and fairs.
"This seemed to be reasonable in terms of the Saints being a part-time employer," Cohen said in a Senate committee hearing this week.
But the measure faces a tough road at the Capitol, coming amid a rising debate about minimum-wage requirements in the Twin Cities.
Rep. Tim Mahoney, DFL-St. Paul, is sponsoring a House bill that also includes a minor league baseball player exemption from minimum-wage and overtime requirements, but he said he isn't sure he will request a hearing that will allow it to move forward.
"I'm a big supporter of the Saints, but I don't particularly like paying people less than minimum wage," Mahoney said Friday.
Minnesota law requires large employers, like the Saints, to pay workers at least $9.65 an hour. Team executives say players' pay isn't tracked by the hour but that they're paid by contract based on experience. They generally make $800 to $4,000 a month during their four-month season.
If the legislation fails, the team could face problems with the salary cap imposed by the league the Saints are part of — the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, said Derek Sharrer, the team's executive vice president and general manager.