MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Legislature is expected to pass bills Wednesday that would protect access to gas vehicles, snow blowers, lawn mowers and other machines.
The Republican-controlled Assembly approved the measures in April, with objections from all Democrats, and the Senate was expected to give final approval Wednesday. It would then be up to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to sign the bills into law or veto them. He said in April that he didn’t think a ban on gas engines was necessary for the state to slowly transition to electric vehicles, and suggested he might not consider banning such bans either.
The bills seek to ban measures similar to a passed California statute last year, which requires all new cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the state to run on electricity or hydrogen by 2035. Democrats have said they have no plans to ban gas engines in Wisconsin and accused the sponsors of the fear project.
The Senate was also expected to vote Wednesday on a bill that would prohibit state and local governments from restricting utilities based on the energy source, such as natural gas.
Republican advocates and other advocates, such as the state chamber of commerce and energy companies, said the measure was necessary to prevent any kind of ban in Wisconsin like those being discussed in other states. New York state will begin banning natural gas stoves and furnaces in most new buildings starting in 2026.
The environmental group Wisconsin Conservation Voters told lawmakers last month that the measure “is at best a solution in search of a problem,” given that no Wisconsin community or the state itself is trying to ban any kind of fuel
