ST. LOUIS PARK, MN — The Pledge of Allegiance will no longer precede St. Louis Park City Council meetings after the governing body unanimously voted to drop its recital from the agenda. According to reports, the council made the decision after citing a desire to accommodate the city's increasingly diverse population.

The change will take effect July 15. It was sponsored by Council Member Anne Mavity, who said about half of the cities in Minnesota do not require the Pledge of Allegiance to be said at council meetings, the Star-Tribune reported. Mayor Jake Spano and Council Member Thom Miller were absent for the vote.

"We all love our country dearly, and we demonstrate that by our service as elected officials all the time," Mavity said. "I want to make sure that we are welcoming to everyone in our community, and so I just felt that was an unnecessary component to include every single week in our work."