Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has vetoed a contentious ordinance that would have mandated human monitors in self-driving vehicles, one day after a City Council debate where an elected official alleged the technology was “murdering” pets. The policy clash marks a significant divide between local legislators seeking to protect labor interests and a mayor aiming to maintain the city’s status as a testing ground for autonomous technology.
The Minneapolis City Council passed the “Workers Drive Minneapolis” ordinance on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in a narrow 7-6 vote. The legislation sought to require all autonomous vehicles (AVs) operating as robotaxis to have a human safety monitor in the driver’s seat. Under the proposed rules, these monitors would be required to have immediate access to steering, braking, and acceleration controls and be paid at least the city’s minimum wage.
During the session, Council Member Jason Chavez argued in favor of the restrictions by claiming that autonomous vehicles were responsible for the deaths of local pets. From the dais, Chavez asserted he had viewed video evidence of the incidents, stating that autonomous cars are “murdering” cats. The comments quickly drew social media scrutiny, as Waymo, the primary AV operator in the city, has reported significantly lower injury-causing crash rates than human drivers in its national safety data.
The Policy-Rhetoric Gap
The “Workers Drive Minneapolis” policy was primarily designed to address labor concerns for rideshare drivers currently working in the city. Supporters of the bill, including Council Members Payne, Wonsley, Osman, Stevenson, Chavez, Chughtai, and Chowdhury, argued that the transition to driverless technology threatens the job security of human workers and necessitates a transitional period where humans remain in the vehicle.
However, the debate was overshadowed by Chavez’s inflammatory rhetoric. While the councilman claimed to have seen videos of animal fatalities, Waymo’s late-September 2026 safety report indicated that across 270 million rider-only miles, its vehicles maintained a lower injury-causing crash rate than human drivers. Furthermore, a July 2026 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that Waymo vehicles were approximately 68% safer than human-operated cars.
Waymo began testing its vehicles in Minneapolis in November 2025. While the company has documented a small number of animal fatalities nationwide over several years of testing, there were no verified reports of such incidents in Minneapolis leading up to the council’s vote.
Mayor’s Veto and Future Outlook
Mayor Jacob Frey issued his veto on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, effectively halting the ordinance before it could take effect in October 2027. According to reporting from CBS News Minnesota, the mayor’s decision aligns with his previous stance on maintaining a competitive environment for emerging technology firms.
The 7-6 vote count suggests the City Council does not currently have the two-thirds majority required to override the mayor’s veto.
The tension in Minneapolis reflects a broader national struggle as cities attempt to regulate the rapid expansion of autonomous rideshare platforms. For now, the city’s AV testing will continue without the human-monitor requirement, though labor advocates have signaled they intend to keep the issue on the legislative agenda for the 2027 term.
