Voters in Washington State have approved a referendum known as Initiative 2066, which would block state and local authorities from limiting access to natural gas stoves and appliances, which environmental groups have tried to do.
The Seattle Times reported:
Washington voters approved Initiative 2066, a measure that explicitly protects access to natural gas in Washington, and also weakens building codes that make it more difficult and costly to add natural gas heating in new construction.
The initiative marks a moment when the state, long known for its progressive climate policies, has taken a step in the other direction. It throws a wrench in the state’s long-term plans to ease reliance on climate-warming fossil fuels, and Washington now joins dozens of other states that have passed similar laws prohibiting local bans on natural gas.
As of Friday, about 51.4% of ballots favored Initiative 2066, a lead of about 90,000 votes. The Seattle Times called the contest. But this might not be the end of the fight, as opponents are preparing a legal challenge they intend to file after the election is certified.
In 2023, New York State became the first in the nation to ban natural gas in new buildings. A similar ban in Berkeley, California, was tossed out by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, saying it preempted state and federal authorities.
The Biden administration also took up the cause, as Breitbart News reported, noting that the federal government was considering regulatory steps that would eliminate most commercially available gas stoves from the market.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
