If there’s one thing Minnesotans have always prided themselves on, it’s hard work. We show up, stay late, and when the pipes freeze or the roof leaks we don’t wait for someone else to fix it. We do it ourselves. That’s the heartbeat of every small business from Duluth to Mankato.

And it’s a heartbeat the new Minnesota paid-leave law may well stop cold.

Starting Jan. 1, Minnesota will launch one of the most generous paid family and medical leave programs in the nation. It promises up to 20 weeks of paid leave annually for nearly every worker in the state, including those in local and state government. It’s well-intentioned, like most bad ideas are. It promises compassion and “time for the moments that matter.”

But for small businesses, it’s not compassion — it’s collapse disguised as kin

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