Beginning August 1, 2017, nearly all city ordinances will require notice before being adopted. (The text of the new law is available at the Revisor of Statutes website) Interim ordinances (aka moratoriums) are the only exception to the notice requirements. Interestingly, failure to provide the required notice does not invalidate the ordinance.

Small business owners fail to fully grasp or understand the ramifications of certain contractual provisions, which should be included within an agreement or which can later turn into bigger issues or unexpected surprises for the parties.

The Public Land Survey System (PLSS), launched in Ohio in 1785, is the source of all real estate titles. Its measurements are sacrosanct in law, but recovering the original section corners presents a challenge. This article describes how the survey was done and reviews some of the most salient Minnesota case law.

Minnesota has an entire chapter of state law entitled the “Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.” While the title is less than eloquent, the Act was the Nation’s first such law and serves the legacy of James Madison well. The law allows anyone—resident, non-resident, individual, or entity—to request information from any state or local government in Minnesota. The statute also establishes a presumption in favor of making government data public and accessible.