>> ERIC: WILL UBER AND LYFT PULL OUT OF THE TWIN CITIES RIDESHARE MARKET BY MAY 1ST?

WILL THE MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL RECONSIDER THEIR PLAN TO RAISE DRIVER COMPENSATION TO A LEVEL THAT HAS BOTH COMPANIES THREATENING TO LEAVE THE AREA?

WILL THE LEGISLATURE STEP IN AND COME UP WITH A STATEWIDE COMPROMISE PLAN?

HERE TO HELP US WITH THESE ANSWERS AND MORE, DAVE ORRICK COVERS MINNEAPOLIS CITY HALL FOR THE "STAR TRIBUNE" NEWSPAPER AND HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS STORY FOR WEEKS.

WELCOME BACK.

THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO RECONSIDER ITS PROVOCATIVE AND CONTROVERSIAL ORDINANCE.

>> ON THURSDAY.

>> Eric: NEXT WEEK, YEAH.

>> THEY'RE GOING TO CONSIDER WHETHER TO RECONSIDER IT.

>> Eric: HOW DOES IT LOOK?

>> IT'S HARD TO SAY.

LOOK, THERE'S A COUPLE OF WAYS THIS COULD GO.

THERE'S A LOT OF PROCEDURES.

BUT I DON'T THINK YOU'LL SEE -- IF ANYTHING HAPPENS, I DON'T THINK THERE WILL BE ANY MAJOR CHANGES MADE ON THURSDAY.

I COULD BE WRONG.

BUT AT BEST, PROBABLY THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, YES, WE'RE GOING TO BRING THIS BACK FOR RECONSIDERATION, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE ANY CHANGES YET.

>> Eric: WELL, THIS IS HEADING TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE, FROM EVERYTHING I CAN GATHER, I THINK IT'S POLITICALLY DAUNTING FOR THE DEMOCRATS, AND I JUST -- DON'T YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO THE LEGISLATURE FOR A OLUTION?

>> WELL, THE LEGISLATURE'S GRAPPLING WITH IT RIGHT NOW, BUT IT IS DAUNTING FOR THE DEMOCRATS BECAUSE, LOOK, IF THE LEGISLATURE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO FIX OR CHANGE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MINNEAPOLIS, THEN THAT MEANS THAT THEY HAVE TO PREEMPT.

AND THAT IS A THIRD RAIL FOR LEGISLATORS AND A LOT OF, IF NOT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE MINNEAPOLIS DELEGATION, IS LISTENING TO THE AJORITY OF THE MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL, WHICH IS SAYING, DON'T YOU DARE PREEMPT US.

THIS IS OUR CITY, WE GET TO SET THE RULES.

AND THE REPUBLICANS NOT GOING TO PLAY BALL ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN, OH, WE CAN SAY, NO CITIES CAN REGULATE THIS.

WE'LL FAVOR THAT.

BUT OTHERWISE THIS IS A DFL INTRABATTLE RIGHT NOW THAT'S GOING ON AT THE LEGISLATURE.

AND I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE THEY COULD COME UP WITH A STATEWIDE COMPROMISE, BUT NOT ONE THAT NECESSARILY HAS ANY EFFECT ON MINNEAPOLIS ITSELF.

>> Cathy: LYFT SEEMS AS IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN MAYBE COMPROMISING, IS THAT RIGHT?

>> THEY ARE.

LYFT THIS WEEK PUT OUT A NUMBER AND SAID, THIS NUMBER, WHICH IS TIED TO A STATE-COMMISSIONED STUDY AND IS BASICALLY THE OWEST NUMBER YOU'LL SEE OUT THERE IN THE DISCUSSIONS THAT COULD GET DRIVERS EQUIVALENT OF MINIMUM WAGE, THEY SAID, IF YOU UYS DO THAT NUMBER, WE'LL STAY.

WE WON'T LEAVE.

UBER HASN'T QUITE BEEN SO CLEAR.

THEY'RE NOT QUITE AS ENGAGED.

BUT IT'S NOT -- THERE'S NOT REAL, LIKE, HEATED NEGOTIATIONS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.

MAYBE THEY'LL COME.

BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

>> Cathy: I WONDER, THEN, IF YOU HAVE A SITUATION WHERE UBER AND LYFT SAYS, LOOK, WE'RE OUT OF HERE N MAY THE 1st, IS THERE SOME OTHER ENTITY THAT'S WILLING TO COME INTO THE MARKET AND CAN THEY COME INTO THE MARKET FAIRLY FAST?

>> I GOT A LIST HERE OF ENTITIES THAT ARE READY TO COME INTO THE MARKET.

NONE OF THEM ARE SPELLED CORRECTLY.

THERE'S MOVE, M-O-O-V, RIDES, W-I-D-Z, MY WHEELS, NO H, NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH MY WHEELS, WITH A H, DIFFERENT KIND OF RIDESHARE ELSEWHERE, NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH ANOTHER COMPANY CALLED JOY RIDE, J-O-Y-R-I-D-E.

OKAY.

FOUR COMPANIES HAVE ACTUALLY APPLIED FOR A LICENSE IN MINNEAPOLIS.

THEN THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER COMPANY CALLED EMPOWER, WE'RE NOT GOING TO APPLY BECAUSE WE DON'T HE NEED A LICENSE.

WE'LL SEE.

>> Eric: HOW ABOUT THE OLD-FASHIONED TAXI INDUSTRY?

>> THE TAXIS ARE GETTING READY TO RAMP UP.

THEY COULD, IN THEORY, BE RAMPED UP PRETTY QUICKLY.

THEN THERE'S A BUNCH OF DRIVERS, ACTIVIST DRIVERS WHO ARE KIND OF BEHIND THIS WHOLE PUSH, WHO ARE TRYING TO START A CO-OP, DRIVER-OWNED CO-OP.

WHETHER ANY OF THESE CAN GET UP AND RUNNING BEFORE MAY 1, REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

BUT THE WHEELS ARE IN MOTION TO TRY TO STAND THESE COMPANIES UP.

>> Eric: WELL, THERE'S MONEY TO BE MADE, OBVIOUSLY.

SO I DON'T KNOW HOW REPUTABLE OR -- THE START-UPS ARE.

>> IT'S A QUESTION, ACTUALLY.

I MEAN, UBER AND LYFT JUST RECENTLY BEGAN POSTING PROFITS.

YOU KNOW, THEY CAME TO DOMINANCE LARGELY THROUGH SUBSIDIZING FARES AND DRIVER BONUSES.

THEY WERE BURNING THROUGH CASH.

AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A QUESTION, OKAY, IF WHAT WE ARE SEEING NOW IS THEM PROFITABLE, YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN PROGRESSIVE CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY SAYING, WELL, THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

YOU'RE NOT PAYING DRIVERS ENOUGH.

NOW, THAT'S DEBATABLE, THE COMPANIES DISPUTE THAT.

BUT THAT'S WHERE WE STAND RIGHT NOW.

THIS IS A OUGH BUSINESS TO MAKE MONEY.

AND IF YOU HAVE FOUR TO SIX TO EIGHT COMPANIES ITH A -- WITH THE TAXI COMPANIES ALL FIGHTING, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE FARE WARS.

>> Cathy: YOU THINK THEN THAT THE MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL WILL KIND OF KEEP IT AS IS, IN A SENSE, RIGHT?

>> FOR NEXT WEEK.

>> Cathy: FOR THE NEXT WEEK.

>> AND THEN AT HE END OF THE MONTH, THEY HAVE ANOTHER MEETING THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL HAS SAID, IF WE ARE GOING TO TWEAK THIS, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE GOING TO TWEAK IT.

>> Eric: AND MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL, HOW THEY GETTING ALONG?

>> NOT TOO GOOD.

>> Eric: OKAY.

THAT'S FOR ANOTHER HOW.

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: THANKS.

THANKS, DAVE.

>> Cathy: THANKS.

>> YOU BET, GUYS.