LA ordinance to ban sale of fur products advances

The Los Angeles City Council has given initial approval to an ordinance that would ban sales of fur clothing and accessories.

The ordinance, which would go into effect in 2021, forbids manufacture or sale of coats, handbags or even earmuffs that contain fur.

The council voted Tuesday 13-1 in favor of the ordinance, which requires a second vote before being sent to Mayor Eric Garcetti.

The law is backed by animal activists, who say the multibillion-dollar global fur industry is rife with cruelty. Fur makers deny that and say bans affect jobs and tax revenues.

West Hollywood, Berkeley and San Francisco already have fur bans.