Category: News & Events
Is There a New Cellphone “Touch Law” for Minnesota Drivers?
July 14, 2025 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.
A rumor has been circulating on social media and across the internet that a new “touch law” went into effect on June 5, 2025, in 31 U.S. states, including Minnesota. The purported law bans handling or touching your phone while driving. This claim is misleading, however. Such a law did go into effect in Pennsylvania on June 5 and is known as “Paul Miller’s Law.” But the other states mentioned in the claim, including Minnesota, already have similar laws that have been in place for several years. In Minnesota’s case, the hands-free cell phone use law went into effect in 2019. So, while there is no new “touch law” in Minnesota, drivers should still act in accordance with the existing law. What is Minnesota’s Hands-Free Cell Phone Law? Minnesota’s hands-free law makes it illegal, in most cases, to use a handheld cell phone while driving. This includes when a driver’s vehicle is stopped at a traffic light or in a traffic jam. However, it is legal for drivers to use cell phones in hands-free mode. This means that drivers are permitted to use their phones through voice commands or with a single-touch activation. So, you are allowed to make or take phone calls, send or receive messages, listen to audio, and receive GPS…
Read MoreMinnesota’s New Boating Law Requirements Begin July 1
June 20, 2025 | Adriel B. Villarreal
Starting on July 1, a new law will require some Minnesota boaters to have a valid watercraft operator’s permit in order to operate a motorboat. The new law, passed in 2023, is designed to increase safety on Minnesota’s lakes and rivers as well as educate people on the environmental impacts of boating. Here’s what you need to know. Who Is Affected? Boaters born after June 30, 2004, aged 12 years or older, will need a valid watercraft operator’s permit to drive any motorboat or personal watercraft. This requirement goes into place on July 1, 2025, but the requirement will gradually extend to older age groups through 2028. People without a permit can still operate a boat as long as there is an accompanying operator on board who does have a permit and is at least 21 years old. Those born before June 30, 1987, will never be required to have a permit unless they rent a motorboat or are serving as an accompanying operator for another person. People younger than 12 years old cannot operate a personal watercraft or motorboat with a motor over 75 horsepower. They can, however, operate a motorboat that is not a personal watercraft and is under 75 horsepower as long as there is an accompanying operator on board….
Read MorePotential Updates to Medicaid/Medical Assistance Benefits
April 17, 2025 | Cathryn ReherOur BGS Estate Planning Team has attorneys working with persons with disabilities of all ages and their families to help them obtain and maintain Medicaid/Medical Assistance benefits. There is a massive budget reconciliation package being fast tracked through Congress that would cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid. The impact could be very challenging for our elderly and disability populations. If you want to keep informed on the impact of the proposed budget cuts, the National Health Law Organization April 23, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. will be hosting a free webinar entitled Medicaid in the Crosshairs: Understanding the Threat and the Path Forward. You can find out more about this seminar and other resource materials at: https://healthlaw.org/resource/protect-medicaid-funding-series-2024/. UPDATE MAY 1, 2025:Governor Walz holds roundtable on proposed federal health care cuts: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNDHS/bulletins/3de7cde
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