Two Minneapolis City Council members plan to introduce an ordinance that would ban the sale of animal fur products in city limits.
Council Members Alondra Cano and Cam Gordon gave a notice of their intent to introduce the resolution during a Friday city council meeting. According to a description of the proposed resolution, it would amend the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances to “prohibit the sale and manufacture of animal fur products.”
WCCO reports that the fur ban would include exemptions for Native American tribes that sell fur for spiritual purposes as well as secondhand stores. The ordinance would be “phased in” while companies transition to selling fur-free products.
Several municipalities in California have passed similar ordinances, including San Francisco, Berkeley, West Hollywood, and Los Angeles. In October, the California Legislature passed a PETA-backed bill to ban the sale and manufacture of fur products statewide by 2023.
New York City attempted to pass a fur ban last year, but the measure failed after facing opposition from black clergy members who argued that fur products were uniquely significant in their community. A number of Jewish groups also opposed the measure because fur is used for their religious garments, Politico reported.
Councilman Gordon, a member of the Green Party of Minnesota, was also behind Minneapolis’ new five-cent plastic bag fee, which was opposed by several retailer organizations. Gordon has represented Minneapolis’ Second Ward since 2006 and was a co-founder of the Green Party of Minnesota.
Cano was first elected to the city council in 2013 after working as the associate director of the Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network, which helped pass the Minnesota Dream Act.
PETA takes credit for making “the practice of wearing animal-derived materials” a “thing of the past.” The group has helped enact fur-free statutes in countries and cities across the globe.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
