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WeHo Store Files Lawsuit Over Fur Ban, Calls It 'Illegal And Harmful'
Less than a week after the nation's first fur ban went into effect in West Hollywood, a store is suing the city to overturn the ban.
Mayfair House, a specialty clothing and accessory store at 8844 Beverly Boulevard, says that the city overstepped its authority in banning fur apparel sales, theLA Times reports. The store claims that the new law violates the state and U.S. constitutions and that the issue should be regulated by state, not local, authorities.
"It is crystal clear that California's constitution grants the state Legislature the only authority to enact legislation relating to the protection of wildlife, including the exclusive power to pass laws regulating the market for products of wildlife, such as fur," Michael O'Connor, an attorney who is representing the store, said in a statement.
The store carries several items with fur, including a parka edged with coyote fur that sells for $1650. They also sell Ugg boots and gloves; since they contain shearling, they are also banned under the new law.
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"The ordinance is an ill-considered and illegal law that is harmful to the city, its consumer citizens and business residents," Johanna Judah, owner of Mayfair House, said in a statement, according to the Times.
The ban on fur apparel took effect Saturday. Fur-sleeved blankets that are worn as clothing are not included in the ban and neither is leather, fur furniture or fur sold in second-hand or vintage shops.
Mayor Pro Tem John D'Amico, who sponsored the ordinance, told The Times last week that WeHo officials always knew there was the "threat of a lawsuit," but that it is an "exceptional ordinance" that is "defensible" and that the "city will stand behind it."
Because of the ban, some stores, including the Goldsmith & Klein fashion boutique, have moved or simply relocated their fur-tainted merchandise to stores outside WeHo city limits.
Under the ordinance, a retailer found selling fur can be charged with a misdemeanor if it receives more than three citations within a year.
Related:
West Hollywood Bans Fur Sales, Animals Rejoice
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