Local businesses have join forces to sue Minneapolis and Mayor Jacob Frey over the city’s vaccine mandate. The group alleges that COVID-19 measures have overreached authority.
“Plaintiffs in the complaint filed in Hennepin County Fourth Judicial Court yesterday include Bright Red Group, LLC (owners of Smack Shack), 90’s Minneapolis, LLC (The Gay 90’s), PJ. Hafiz Club Management, Inc. (Sneaky Pete’s), Urban entertainment, LLC (Wild Greg’s Saloon), Urban Forage, LLC (Urban Forage), and MikLin Enterprises, Inc. (Jimmy John’s) and I & E Inc. (Bunkers Music Bar & Grill).” Fox 9 reports.
The complaint targets “Mayor Frey’s agenda of pushing for and convincing the public to get vaccinated.”
“Whether the end being sought is noble, the scheme is forcing restaurants and bars to lose additional patrons and business that have already been reduced over the past two years and incur new costs and burdens to enforce the requirements,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit claims that the plaintiffs’ rights as restaurant owners have been restricted by ongoing COVID-19 vaccine and testing regulations.
“Here we are, two years later, going on to the third year, and we are still facing restrictions that target us and only us. We just don’t think it’s fair,” Greg Urban, owner of Wild Greg’s Saloon, told Fox 9.
“Jacob Frey does not have the power to do what he did. You cannot just act by edict or fiat, as they say. There’s a legislative process that has to occur and he bypassed that,” lawyer Francis Rondoni added.
Minneapolis City Attorney Jim Rowader responded to the lawsuit on Friday:
“It is unfortunate that Plaintiffs are not interested in doing their part. The varied course of this public health pandemic has shown that an effective response is rooted in a coordinated approach from all sectors of the city. The surge in transmission and infection caused by the Delta and Omicron variants renews this call to action.”
“It is unfortunate that Plaintiffs are not interested in doing their part. We are extremely confident in the Mayor’s authority to enact this regulation – we are still in an emergency. The City Attorney’s Office will vigorously defend this prudent approach to ensuring public health and safety.”
