ST. PAUL 鈥� A coalition of Minnesota business owners urged Minnesota lawmakers on Tuesday, May 13, to 鈥渕ake keys legal鈥� and amend a 2023 metal ban.
Minnesotans from the residential, commercial, automotive and recreational industries said Tuesday that a importing, manufacturing, selling or offering keys and other items containing certain levels of lead and cadmium 鈥� has effectively made keys illegal.
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With a strict compliance deadline of July 1 from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency approaching, Rob Justen of Doyle Security Products said small manufacturers have already stopped supplying him with products. He said that at a National Conference of security distributors in April, he was told there would soon be 鈥渘o other option than to just not sell in the state of Minnesota.鈥�
鈥淎pproximately 75% of all products that we stock 鈥� have become prohibited for sale,鈥� Justen said. 鈥淧utting businesses in a position to decide to comply with the law and start laying off employees, or possibly face punishment for not complying.鈥�
Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, author of to exempt keys from the 2023 metal ban, said Tuesday he thinks passage is doable with six days left in the legislative session.
鈥淚t鈥檚 OK to pass laws, realize the ramifications of those laws, get feedback from constituents, industries, stakeholders, and realize that there are reforms that can be made to improve the law,鈥� Hauschild said.
While the bill won鈥檛 pass as a standalone, Rep. Bjorn Olson, R-Fairmont, said Monday, May 12, lawmakers could 鈥渟oak this up鈥� in conference committee for the omnibus environment bill.
The Trust Project
