A Minneapolis City Council member became the subject of widespread social media mockery after defending “cat lovers,” alleging that Waymo vehicles have killed cats and calling for human operators to be required inside self-driving cars.
“I will say cats have been killed and cats have been killed by these autonomous vehicles,” Jason Chavez told fellow council members. “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.”
The ordinance narrowly passed Thursday and would require every autonomous vehicle to have a human operator as well as a special license.
However, the measure’s future is far from certain.
Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement to several Minnesota outlets that he plans to veto the proposal, arguing that it “doesn’t make sense.” He said Minneapolis would continue pursuing “innovative technology,” including new transportation options.
Although Frey acknowledged concerns about safety, he said he would not support what he described as a “backdoor ban” on autonomous vehicles.
Waymo vehicles, recognizable by their rooftop sensor systems and empty driver’s seats, are becoming an increasingly familiar sight. Supporters of the ordinance say human operators are necessary for safety, while critics argue the requirement would effectively eliminate autonomous taxi services and drive up fares. Opponents also say the technology threatens jobs.
Chavez’s comments about cats quickly drew criticism online, with users accusing him of exaggerating the issue and distracting from what they viewed as more serious problems facing Minneapolis.
“The Minneapolis City Council wants to require a human in driverless vehicles because cats are being ‘murdered’ by them,” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage wrote on X. “This guy’s salary is $110,000/year, by the way.”
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Grage continued criticizing Chavez in separate X posts, writing, “They’re calling it the cat genocide” and, “Hide your cats. The Waymos are coming.”
Conservative commentator Gunther Eagleman also mocked the discussion, posting, “LOL! MINNEAPOLIS HAS FOUND ITS REAL CRISIS, AND IT’S ROBOT CARS ‘MURDERING’ CATS.”
Eagleman said city officials should instead focus on issues such as crime and fraud, calling the debate evidence of failed leadership.
“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.
“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 added to the criticism on X, writing, “They’re driving over the cats, they’re driving over the dogs!”
“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???” Three Rivers Park Commissioner Jennifer DeJournett wrote on X.
Journalist Zaid Jilani offered a contrasting account, posting, “Fwiw I’ve been in a self-driving Tesla that stopped for cats to cross the road and Waymo is a lot more advanced.”
“My FSD Tesla avoids animals on the road. He is full of it,” Dealer Teamwork CEO and co-founder Sean Stapleton posted on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to Chavez for comment.
