Youngkin vows to untie Virginia from California’s 'out of touch' electric powered vehicle shift

Heather Hamilton

August 28, 11:10 AM August 28, 11:10 AM

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) vowed to block all efforts to ban gas-powered automobiles in Virginia.

His declaration comes right after California’s Air Means Board voted Thursday to apply an govt get by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) that phases out gasoline-run automobiles and bans the sale of them commencing in 2035. Virginia passed a legislation in 2021 that established the Commonwealth on a path to undertake California’s emissions benchmarks.

“In an hard work to turn Virginia into California, liberal politicians who earlier ran our govt marketed Virginia out by subjecting Virginia drivers to California car laws,” Youngkin wrote in a statement posted to Twitter. “Now, below that pact, Virginians will be compelled to undertake the California legislation that prohibits the sale of gasoline and diesel-fueled motor vehicles. I am by now at perform to stop this ridiculous edict from becoming pressured on Virginians. California’s out of contact legislation have no location in our Commonwealth.”

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Republican leaders in Virginia attempted to move a monthly bill that would have canceled the enactment of the Virginia Cleanse Financial state Act. The “Repeal VCEA” legislation passed the commonwealth’s House of Delegates but strike a wall in the Senate previously this year.

However, Speaker of the Virginia Dwelling of Delegates Todd Gilbert vowed not to give up.

“House Republicans will advance legislation in 2023 to place Virginians again in charge of Virginia’s car emission benchmarks and its auto marketplace,” Gilbert said in a assertion. “Virginia is not, and should really not be, California.”

Journey Pollard, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Legislation Centre, instructed the states that undertake California's criteria will be in a position to provide improved “consumer choice” for drivers who want an electric powered car and that it was “unfortunate” that Republicans would want to just take that away.

“We undoubtedly will be arguing strongly to members of each functions that this is a little something Virginia really should stick with,” Pollard stated.

When Republicans have regulate in Virginia’s House of Delegates, Democrats command the point out Senate by 1 vote, posing a hurdle to the ideas of Youngkin and his GOP allies in the legislature.