Minneapolis is poised to become the first city in the country to require driverless vehicles to have drivers, but a veto by the mayor may halt the ordinance.
The development comes after after the Minneapolis City Council approves an ordinance that would require human monitors in robo-taxis. Supporters say the goal is to protect the jobs of thousands of rideshare drivers.
Councilmember Jason Chavez also expressed concern about cats.
"Cats have been killed by these autonomous vehicles, and I have a cat," he said. "I don't want my cat getting killed because of these autonomous vehicles. So to those cat lovers out there, just know that these Waymo vehicles, these autonomous vehicles have killed cats."
Councilmember Elizabeth Schaffer opposes the measure, saying it's no wonder other cities raise an eyebrow to Minneapolis.
"When we jump out ahead of research and develop policy that is affecting other jurisdictions, people wonder what we are doing," she said.
The ordinance also requires driverless vehicle companies to be licensed. The measure faces pushback from Mayor Jacob Frey who said he plans to veto the Waymo proposal.
“Requiring a driver in a driverless car doesn’t make sense,” said Mayor Frey. “Minneapolis is open for business, open to innovative technology, and open to a variety of transportation options. Thoughtful regulation for safety is necessary, but not through a backdoor ban.”
The measure passed the City Council 7-6, which makes it unlikely to gain enough votes to be implemented should Frey veto it. It's set to take effect next year, if it is actually implemented.
Waymo has been testing its driverless cars with a monitor in the Twin Cities for the past several months.
