Wyoming Lawmakers Advance Legislation to Ban Electric Vehicles

A group of Wyoming legislators, led by Republican state senator Jim Anderson, introduced a resolution last week to ban the sale of electric vehicles within the state by 2035. While Senate Joint Resolution 4 (SJ0004) notes how important the oil and gas industry happens to be for Wyoming, there’s no formal enforcement behind it because the group doesn’t actually want or expect it to pass – they’re just trying to make a point about the ridiculousness of EV mandates.

Supported by senators Brian Boner, Ed Cooper, and Dan Dockstader, as well as state House Representatives Donald Burkhart and Bill Henderson, the proposed legislation "Phasing out new electric vehicle sales by 2035" is basically a political spectacle designed to encourage people to ask questions about the readiness of EV charging infrastructures (especially in Wyoming), the current quality of all-electric vehicles, and the ramifications of internal combustion bans that are being plotted in other states.

“I don’t have a problem with electric vehicles at all,” Anderson told The Washington Post on Monday, adding that he felt anyone wanting to buy an EV should have the freedom to do so.

But he also said that should apply to gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles.

“I have a problem with somebody saying, ‘Don’t buy any more petroleum vehicles,’” Anderson continued, noting that the proposal is designed to make people actually think about government mandates about what citizens can and cannot purchase with their own money.

As expected, the issue is already being heavily politicized in the media. The Washington Post attempted to explain why Wyoming’s cobalt reserves should make it easy to transition toward all-electric vehicles, Ars Technica claimed the legislative stunts were both “childish” and “pathetic,” and Fox Business focused on how mandating electric vehicles could upend Wyoming’s existing economy – which is heavily dependent on fossil fuels.

The legislation itself notes this, including passages that literally state “phasing out the sale of new electric vehicles in Wyoming by 2035 will ensure the stability of Wyoming’s oil and gas industry and will help preserve the country’s critical minerals for vital purposes.” However, this again is supposed to parody the language used in proposals to ban internal combustion vehicles.

"We are countering what California and Oregon have started with stopping sales of new petroleum vehicles," Anderson said on Monday. "We are very concerned about the source of minerals in countries with poor environmental laws, and we are very concerned about the disposal of the battery, which will be hazardous materials."

[Image: Ingo70/Shutterstock]

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