(ConservativeSense.com) – New York plans to ban the use of gas stoves and other appliances in new constructions. Republican Arizona Senator Tom Cotton responded to the news by pointing out that objections to such bans were recently dismissed as “right-wing conspiracy theories.”
Democrat-controlled New York stepped closer to the ban in March when lawmakers announced that new buildings, including residential homes and businesses, would “prohibit fossil fuel furnaces, water heaters, clothes dryers, and gas stoves.” The ban will not however apply to restaurants or other public venues where food is prepared.
The issue of gas stoves has surprisingly entered the culture war. Mainstream and left-leaning media have denied that plans to prohibit them are in the works. The argument started in January when a US Consumer Product Safety Commission member, Richard Trumka Jr, said some everyday appliances were a health hazard and could face prohibition. Republicans responded, saying the government was overreaching and exercising excessive control through environmental fear-mongering.
The agency later said there were no plans to ban the stoves, and much of the mainstream media ridiculed Republicans claiming they were falsely warning Americans that Democrats would enter their home and take their appliances. For example, NPR ran a story mocking conservatives but still reporting that the devices are a potential hazard.
New York’s new proposals not only confirm the intention to ban the kitchen appliance but also prevent any loopholes around such a ban. Katy Zielinski, a spokeswoman for Governor Kathy Hochul, said the new law would be robust and prevent businesses or organizations from finding ways to exempt themselves.
Furthermore, in March, San Francisco Bay Area lawmakers voted for similar prohibitions. Natural gas furnaces and water heaters will be “phased out” in the region and replaced with electric alternatives. That legislation did not name gas stoves but will prevent the installation of natural gas lines in new buildings, which will have the effect of barring gas stoves from new homes.
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