Ohio Preemptively Limits Restrictions on New Gasoline Vehicle Sales

The state of Ohio has made a move that will limit potential bans on new gasoline-powered vehicle sales, Spectrum News 1 reports.

This past Thursday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a measure into law that will limit potential restrictions imposed on vehicle emissions, though no efforts have yet been made by the state or any regions within it to enact such restrictions.

The legislation signed by Gov. DeWine, House Bill 201, was first introduced in June and was passed by the Ohio General Assembly in early December. It will prevent local municipalities from putting emissions standards into place that would effectively exclude gas-powered vehicles. Additionally, the law blocks Ohio from having emission standards that are stricter than the federal government.

Every Ohio Republican in the House of Representatives voted to pass the legislation last month, with Rep. Bill Johnson arguing that limiting consumers’ choices would harm working-class Americans. White House officials have responded by saying that the move to EVs is inevitable, and the regulations are meant to help support that transition.

“We shouldn’t restrict the move to it because the whole world is moving there,” said Amos Hochstein, White House special presidential coordinator for global infrastructure and energy security. “What we want is the United States that has already led the world in vehicles, in the auto industry, to continue.”