Overview
- The City Council’s Business, Housing and Zoning Committee voted unanimously to advance an ordinance that would require any establishment licensed to sell alcohol to post its dress code at the entrance.
- Backers say the rule aims to stop selective enforcement that denies entry by race, gender or appearance and point to a 2018 Last Call Bar incident as part of the push for transparency.
- Opponents at the committee hearing argued the measure could interfere with business operations and venue safety, with some speakers saying owners need more tools to keep spaces safe.
- The proposal would not override state-regulated health-and-safety rules such as 'no shirts, no shoes, no service,' and reporters say it would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027 if the full council approves it.
- The ordinance now moves to the full Minneapolis City Council for a vote and follows a similar dress-code posting law adopted in Houston about a year earlier, signaling growing local efforts to curb venue-level exclusion.