The Minneapolis City Council narrowly passed an ordinance Thursday that would require a human operator and a special license for all autonomous vehicles operating in the city, a move driven in part by a council member’s claims that self-driving Waymo cars are killing cats.
Council Member Jason Chavez told his colleagues he had watched footage of the incidents before the vote. “I will say cats have been killed and cats have been killed by these autonomous vehicles,” Chavez said. “I have a cat, 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 and that’s unfair. I just watched a video sitting here from the dais and it was really hard to watch. Literally cats being murdered by these vehicles.”
Mayor Jacob Frey has said he intends to veto the measure. In a statement to Minnesota outlets, Frey said the ordinance “doesn’t make sense” and that the city intends to keep pursuing “innovative technology,” including new transportation options. He acknowledged safety concerns raised by council members but said he would not support what he called a “backdoor ban” of autonomous vehicles.
The ordinance’s fate remains uncertain pending that veto and any potential council response.
A Fight Over Jobs, Safety and Fares
Waymo vehicles, identifiable by rooftop sensors and the absence of a driver, have become increasingly common on American streets. Supporters of the Minneapolis ordinance argue that requiring a human operator would functionally end autonomous taxi service in the city and drive up fares for riders. Opponents of the technology counter that it poses safety risks and threatens driving jobs.
National Mockery Follows Council Remarks
Chavez’s comments drew widespread attention and ridicule online. Townhall columnist Dustin Grage wrote on X, “The Minneapolis City Council wants to require a human in driverless vehicles because cats are being ‘murdered’ by them. This guy’s salary is $110,000/year, by the way.” Grage followed with additional posts, including “They’re calling it the cat genocide” and “Hide your cats. The Waymos are coming.”
“LOL! MINNEAPOLIS HAS FOUND ITS REAL CRISIS, AND IT’S ROBOT CARS ‘MURDERING’ CATS.” — Gunther Eagleman
Eagleman, a conservative commentator, argued the council should be focused on other issues. “A council member in a city that let rioters burn down a police precinct and watched a $250 million fraud scheme happen under its nose now wants a human in every driverless car to protect the cats,” he wrote on X. “He’s pulling down $110,000 a year of taxpayer money to say this with a straight face. Minneapolis doesn’t have a driverless car problem. It has a leadership problem.”
Fox News Digital columnist David Marcus posted on X, “They’re driving over the cats, they’re driving over the dogs!” Three Rivers Park Commissioner Jennifer DeJournett questioned Chavez’s salary in light of other local concerns, writing on X, “Why is a city council member making 110,000 when families and seniors are getting priced out of their homes in Minneapolis and taxes are sky rocking????? That’s absurd – where is the equality in that???”
Not everyone dismissed the underlying concern about animal safety outright. Journalist Zaid Jilani wrote on X, “Fwiw I’ve been in a self-driving Tesla that stopped for cats to cross the road and Waymo is a lot more advanced.” Sean Stapleton, CEO and co-founder of Dealer Teamwork, pushed back on Chavez’s framing directly, writing, “My FSD Tesla avoids animals on the road. He is full of it.”
Chavez did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
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