Move to ban circus animals rejected

Minneapolis City Council instead approves a proposal to consider ways to increase regulations, fees and fines.

By Terry Collins, Star Tribune

Send in the clowns -- and the lions and tigers and elephants.

By the narrowest majority, the Minneapolis City Council decided Friday against a ban on wild animal circus shows.

Instead, council members voted 7-6 for option 2: a milder proposal to increase regulations, and raise permit fees and fines for circus operators. That put smiles on the faces of circus supporters and left some opponents in tears.

After two hours of debate, a ban became more unlikely as the council voted overwhelmingly to send the regulation proposal to committee for additional work.

Timothy Davison, a member of the Minneapolis Shriners, which will sponsor their annual three-day circus at Target Center in two weeks, said: "I feel like we won the battle, but we'll see about the war. We'll see what the city comes up with."We are incredibly and tremendously sad and disappointed that our elected officials did not listen to us, but what outsiders were telling them," said a tearful Christine Coughlin, executive director for the local nonprofit Circus Reform Yes. Her group collected 5,000 signatures on a petition in support of the ban.

"In the face of overwhelming constituent pleas, they turned their backs on us," Coughlin continued. "They didn't listen."

Nevertheless, Coughlin said, "we will try to help the city actually put some real teeth into these proposals."

Council Member Paul Ostrow, who sponsored the winning proposal with Betsy Hodges, said he welcomed the input.

"We took the right step," Ostrow said. "It was a vigorous debate, and now we'll go back to work. Obviously, a lot of people are engaged."

Hodges added: "I think it will be good for the city and animal welfare to increase regulation. There is a quiet majority who think a ban is not the right solution."

How the votes came down

Council Member Ralph Remington, who coauthored the ban with Cam Gordon, said he felt "betrayed." He singled out colleague Diane Hofstede, who is believed to have cast the deciding vote.

"At first, she was very supportive, but then in the last 24 hours she started playing coy, and then in her own words, she became 'mum,'" Remington said. "We knew that there might be a swing vote, but she betrayed the people and her colleagues who were counting on her."

Hofstede was unavailable for comment Friday.

"It appeared a week or two ago a lot of council members were clearly lined up," said Ostrow, who had two lengthy conversations with Hofstede on Thursday. "She considered both sides very carefully."

Hodges said Hofstede didn't speak to her after Friday's meeting, but "she looked at me and nodded."

Although he wanted a total ban, Gordon proposed several alternatives on Friday. After the vote, he said he was completely "flabbergasted."

In addition to Remington and Gordon, council members supporting the ban were Sandy Colvin Roy, Elizabeth Glidden, Don Samuels and Gary Schiff.

Besides Ostrow, Hodges and Hofstede, those in opposition were Scott Benson, Lisa Goodman, Barbara Johnson and Robert Lilligren.

On Thursday, Lilligren said he was undecided. On Friday, he said he did not believe the public supported an outright ban.

See what happens next

A close vote had been expected.

Supporters of the ban say circus animals are often mistreated by their trainers to get them to perform. Circus sponsors argued that they don't abuse their animals and that they are already federally regulated.

"Minneapolis is a great market for family entertainment, and we are considering playing here," said Stephen Payne, a spokesman for Ringling Bros. & Barnum Bailey Circus, who came to town to oppose the ban. "We're curious to see what the council will now come up with."

The alternative that will be reviewed calls for measures including on- and off-site inspections using city animal control staff and contracted veterinarians, higher permit fees and stiffer fines. It was supported by Mayor R.T. Rybak.

Before he hugged Coughlin, Remington told ban supporters to not give up.

"We will have tighter restrictions and regulations so people will be held accountable," Remington said. "The fight's not over."