California will be the first state to ban the sale and manufacture of new fur products and the third to bar most animals from circus performances under a pair of bills signed Saturday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The fur law bars residents from selling or making clothing, shoes, or handbags with fur starting in 2023, the AP reports. Animal rights groups cheered the measure as a stand against inhumane practices. The proposal was vigorously opposed by the billion-dollar US fur industry, and the Fur Information Council of America has already threatened to sue. It follows Newsom's signing of legislation that makes California the first state to outlaw fur trapping and follows bans on sales of fur in Los Angeles and San Francisco. "California is a leader when it comes to animal welfare, and today that leadership includes banning the sale of fur," Newsom said in a statement.
"We are making a statement to the world that beautiful wild animals like bears and tigers have no place on trapeze wires or jumping through flames," he said. The fur ban doesn't apply to used products or those used for religious or tribal purposes. It excludes the sale of leather, dog and cat fur, cowhides, deer, sheep and goat skin and anything preserved through taxidermy. Still, the legislation could mark a significant blow to the fur industry that makes products from animals including mink, chinchillas, rabbits and other animals. The advocacy group Direct Action Everywhere said it's working to pass similar bills in other places. Opponents have said that could create a black market and lead to bans on other products. New Jersey and Hawaii also prohibit the use of most animals in circus performances. (San Francisco was the largest city to approve a fur ban.)
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