09-04-2025
Key makers rattled by Minnesota metal ban
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 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.
DFL 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.
