Frey says he will veto driverless rideshare ordinance

Council approves ordinance

The Minneapolis City Council has approved an ordinance concerning driverless rideshares in the city. The vote moves the measure from council consideration to the next stage of Minneapolis city government.

The council action concerns local policy for rideshare services that operate without a human driver. It is a city policy decision rather than a ballot measure, and it is not directly connected to an election or candidate race.

Council approval establishes the council’s action on the ordinance. It does not settle the measure’s status because Mayor Jacob Frey has said he will veto it.

Frey announces veto

Frey’s statement puts the mayor and the council on different sides of the ordinance. The council approved the measure, while the mayor has said he intends to reject it through a veto.

The announcement is a statement of intended executive action. The next formal development will be whether and when Frey carries out the veto he announced.

Next steps

Attention now shifts to the city’s formal handling of the ordinance and the mayor’s planned veto. Any further council action would occur after the veto enters the city process.

The immediate policy question is therefore unresolved: the council has acted in favor of the ordinance, but Frey has said he will act against it. Official city records will show the ordinance’s status as those steps occur.