Posted on November 16, 2023
Key committee vote to be held on Nov. 28
CT farmers, fuel distributors and truckers speak out vs. adoption of regulations
HARTFORD- State Rep. Holly Cheeseman (R-37) along with Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly and House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora today urged Democrats to “pump the brakes” on the Lamont administration’s proposal to ban the sales of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035 and send the proposed regulations back to the full legislature for more deliberation.
The lawmakers said the mandates, if enacted, will make the state more unaffordable for low- and middle-income families, bankrupt small businesses, put people out of work and require billions of dollars in upgrades to the state’s power grid and charging station infrastructure.
“This policy change will affect every resident who lives in Connecticut and every business that operates in the state. Right now, there are too many unanswered questions, and many residents are uneasy with the potential costs to their family budgets,” said Rep. Cheeseman, a member of the Energy and Technology Committee. “Having the hand of government force these changes will have a harmful result. Purchasing an electric vehicle continues to grow in popularity, which is why we should permit the market to determine policy, not a costly government mandate.”
The legislature’s Regulation Review Committee will vote on the mandate during the panel’s Nov. 28 meeting.
In a letter to the committee, the Connecticut Farm Bureau wrote, “While we understand the need to reach zero-emissions to combat climate change and improve our air quality, we must take a step back and strategically plan to reach those goals before adopting these regulations. Farms do not invest in technology until the reliability is proven, the support systems are in-place, and a cost/benefit analysis has been developed. We must build the electrical infrastructure, allow technology to catch-up, and establish dedicated funding to assist farm businesses, and other sectors of the Connecticut economy with the cost of compliance to these standards before ever adopting these regulations. On behalf of the Connecticut Farm Bureau and our farm family businesses, we urge you to vote against the adoption of these proposed regulations.”
Representatives of Connecticut’s fuel distributors and truckers also say the state’s move to adopt California regulations to phase out gasoline powered cars and trucks in favor of electric vehicles is “too much, too soon,” and will ultimately drive-up costs.
The Republican lawmakers said the multiple question marks and contradictions surrounding the mandate’s achievability, affordability, and budgetary impact are all reasons to take a pause in order to understand their full ramifications.