OF ANALYSTS WILL DISSECT THE WEEK'S POLITICAL NEWS.

>> ERIC: BUT FIRST, THE MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL HAS VOTED TO DELAY UNTIL JULY 1ST THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A REGULATION THAT SETS MINIMUM COMPENSATION RATES FOR RIDESHARE DRIVERS.

YESTERDAY'S UNANIMOUS VOTE COMES IN RESPONSE TO A THREAT BY UBER AND LYFT TO SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS IN MINNEAPOLIS ON MAY 1ST WHEN THE ORDINANCE WAS ORIGINALLY SET TO GO INTO EFFECT.

JOINING US NOW IS ALFONZO GALVAN, WHO HAS BEEN COVERING THE STORY FOR THE "SAHAN JOURNAL."

WHY DID THE CITY COUNCIL VOTE TO DELAY THIS UNTIL JULY 1ST?

>> I MEAN, YOU HAVE A COUPLE WEEKS BEFORE MAY 1ST.

AND MOST DRIVERS ON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO WORK.

A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A RIDESHARE COME MAY 1ST.

SO IT'S GIVEN GIVING THEM TWO MORE MONTHS TO FIGURE IT OUT.

>> Cathy: SO THE COUNCIL MET THIS WEEK.

DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THEY WANTED TO MAKE ANY CHANGES PENDING WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE?

>> IT SEEMS LIKE IT.

SO THIS TWO-MONTH DELAY DOES GIVE THEM TIME TO LOOK AT THE STATE AND SEE WHAT THEY DO.

THEY WANT TO AVOID THAT PREEMPT THAT.

>> Eric: WHICH WOULD REDUCE LOCAL CONTROL I GUESS IN A CASE.

IN THIS CASE.

>> LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES ARE LOOKING AT IT I THINK NEXT WEEK.

THE COUNCIL IS MEETING WITH -- IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE MEETING WITH SMALL GROUPS OF LEGISLATORS TO TRY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING.

IS THERE A SWEET SPOT HERE?

OR DO WE NOT KNOW THAT YET?

>> WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET.

JUST AS THE DAYS GO BAY BSM THAT WE HAVE TWO MORE MONTHS TO, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATORS AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO CONTINUE MEETING AND DISCUSSING THIS AND HOPEFULLY WE HAVE AN ANSWER.

AT LEAST BY MAY 1ST OF DO WE HAVE OTHER ALTERNATIVE RIDESHARE COMPANIES IN MINNEAPOLIS?

>> Cathy: HOW MANY COMPANIES ARE LINING UP?

I MEAN, AND CAN THEY STAFF UP FAST ENOUGH TO ENTER THE MARKET?

>> SO THAT'S HE INTERESTING QUESTION.

I'VE BEEN TALKING TO RIDESHARE DRIVERS A LOT, AND EVERYBODY I ASKED HAS A DIFFERENT COMPANY THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DRIVE FOR.

UNFORTUNATELY AT THE CITY LEVEL IN MINNEAPOLIS, ONLY FOUR COMPANIES HAVE APPLIED FOR A LICENSE.

A LOT OF THEM ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH INSURANCE, TRYING TO GET THAT MINIMUM LIABILITY INSURANCE REQUI REQUIRED TATE.

I THINK IT'D 1.5 MILLION.

SO A LOT OF HE DRIVERS DON'T KNOW HO THEY'RE GOING TO BE DRIVING FOR AND OUT OF THOSE FOUR APPLICANTSER NON-EMERGENCY HAVE BEEN APPROVED YET.

>> Eric: ARE ALL THE DRIVERS OF THE SAME MIND ON THIS.

OR IS THERE DIVISION BETWEEN THE 10,000 DRIVERS OR SOMETHING?

OR ARE THERE DIFFERING VIEWS?

>> I MEAN, DRIVERS, THEY WANT TO GET PAID MORE.

SO THEY'RE FOR THAT.

SOME OF THEM LATELY, THERE'S BEEN AN ISSUE ON HOW MUCH DRIVERS ARE GETTING PAID.

RIGHT NOW AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THERE WAS A BRIG GROUP OF EAST AFRICAN DRIVERS WHO WERE UPPORTING THE $1.40 PER MILE RATE.

BUT THEN THERE WAS A GROUP THAT SAID, HEY, WE MAKE ENOUGH MONEY.

BUT THOSE DRIVERS, THEY TELL ME THAT THEIR ACCEPTANCE RATE FOR RIDES IS PRETTY LOW COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE DRIVER.

>> Eric: SEE SEE.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BILL GOING THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE AT THIS POINT?

IS IT SIMILAR TO THE MINNEAPOLIS ORDINANCE IN A SENSE?

IS IT COMPLETELY DIFFERENT?

I MEAN, WHAT'S IN THAT BILL?

>> SO THE FIRST FIGURE THROWN AROUND IS VERY CLOSE TO THE MINNEAPOLIS FIGURE.

I AM THINKING THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE.

RIGHT NOW I THINK THE STATE IS SITTING AT $1.39 A MILE AND AROUND 51 CENTS A MINUTE.

IF I'M CORRECT.

WE HAVE TWO MONTHS FOR THAT CHANGE.

UBER AND LYFT HAVE SUPPORTED LOWER NUMBERS.

LIVELG YFT HAS FLAT OUT SAID, HEY, WE'LL SUPPORT 89 CENTS A MINUTE, OR A MILE, PARDON ME.

SO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MEET SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.

>> Cathy: DO YOU KNOW WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, HOW POLITICALLY FRAUGHT IS THIS?

YOU KNOW, COULD THIS RUN INTO JUST RAW POLITICS AND COMPLETELY DERAIL?

>> I MEAN, HOPEFULLY NOT.

BUT THAT'S WHAT IT'S LOOKING LIKE.

WE SAW THAT AT THE CITY COUNCIL.

WHERE THERE IS SOME DIVISION.

STARTING.

WE HAVE, FOR INSTANCE, ANDREA JENKINS, AT FIRST DECIDING TO SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE.

NOW SAYING, HEY, LET'S RECONSIDER THIS, RIGHT?

MONDAY WAS THE MAYOR.

AND AMONG THE THREE SUPPORTERS, THE THREE CHIEF AUTHORS, THEY'VE KIND OF STOOD THEIR GROUND.

THEY SAID, WE WILL SUPPORT A CHANGE IN RATE, BUT SO LONG AS, YOU KNOW, YOU MEET THAT MINNEAPOLIS MINIMUM WAGE OF $15 AN HOUR.

>> Eric: WHAT SHOULD WE LOOK FOR BETWEEN NOW AND JULY 1ST?

ARE THERE PRIVATE MEETINGS TO BE HELD OR PUBLIC MEETINGS?

>> IT'S REALLY CAN JUST UBER AND LYFT AGREE ON A NUMBER.

CAN THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO AGREE TO EITHER LOWER THAT NUMBER, THE RATE THEY'RE GOING FOR, OR ARE THEY GOING TO STAY WITH THAT NUMBER?