Key makers rattled by Minnesota metal ban
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Key makers say they'll be locked out of Minnesota's market without an exemption from a new state ban on toxic metals.
Why it matters: A law meant to protect kids from harmful materials could also make it harder for Minnesotans to obtain or replace keys for homes, cars, boats and more.
State of play: The law, passed in 2023 as part of a broader spending bill, makes it illegal to import, manufacture, sell or offer keys and other items containing certain levels of lead and cadmium.
- Other products covered by the ban include toys, clothing, kitchenware and school and art supplies.
Context: The law's backers say the goal is to reduce exposure to metals that can harm health and development, especially for children and the workers who make such products.
- Ingesting cadmium, which is an increasingly popular alternative for lead, can cause vomiting and organ damage, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
Yes, but: Those lobbying for a change, including the auto and boat industries, say "commercially viable" alternative materials for making keys and FOBs aren't available.
- Titanium, for example, would be "extremely expensive," require new machinery and risk wearing out locks and ignitions faster, the recent president of the Security Hardware Distributors Association wrote lawmakers in a letter.
What they're saying:"We don't have another option," DFL Sen. Grant Hauschild, who's pushing for the key carve-out in the Senate, told Axios. "I don't want to be in a place where Minnesota outlaws keys."
Between the lines: Critics have also pointed out that Minnesota's new standard is more stringent than the European Union or California, the only other state to pass such a ban.
The other side: DFL Rep. Rick Hansen, who authored the original ban, told Axios that the state needs to reduce exposure to "dangerous elements like lead and cadmium."
- "As parents know, kids put keys in their mouth," he wrote.
Zoom out: Lawmakers are also seeking carve-outs for lead-containing pens and mechanical pencils used by architects and cadmium paints and pastels that artists say are crucial for capturing vibrant colors.
- "This is the only government in the universe that outlaws cadmium paint for artistic purposes," Rep. Bjorn Olson (R-Fairmont) told a committee recently of the proposal to exempt art supplies.
Friction point: MPCA doesn't support full product exemptions "due to the toxic properties of these metals and their availability to the general public," spokesperson Becky Lentz told Axios.
- But it is working collaboratively with industries" to determine whether they need more time to comply with the law.
- It's recommended a three-year extension for pens and FOBs, but not traditional keys.
The intrigue: A representative for the agency acknowledged in a recent committee hearing that keys are a challenging case and said it's still evaluating questions about testing and potential alternative materials.
Where it stands: Language exempting keys from the law was amended into a commerce policy bill in the Senate. Hauschild said he'll seek to add the key carve-out into a separate environmental package this week.
- Lawmakers in the House, meanwhile, recently moved to exclude keys from draft exemption language under consideration for one of that chamber's budget bills.
What we're watching: Whether the provision ultimately makes it into a budget bill.
- A spokesperson for Gov. Tim Walz said he "understands the concerns being raised and his Administration continues to work with legislators and stakeholders to resolve the issue."