December 21, 2022 4:00 a.m.

On Tuesday, Oregon House Republicans responded after the state’s Environmental Quality Commission approved a rule to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035.

A release from the Oregon House Republican Caucus said the ban will not affect cars already on the road or the purchase of used gas-powered cars, but will require those interested in purchasing a new gas-powered vehicle to take their business outside of the state. The rule is based on vehicle emission standards adopted by the State of California in August.

GOP Leader Vicki Breese-Iverson said, “This is the latest out of touch example of what our state agencies and commissions have become”. Breese-Iverson said, “Once again, as Governor Brown’s days in office are winding down, she is working to solidify her progressive legacy without being held accountable. While this decision will disproportionately hurt working-class Oregonians, it also ignores the unrealistic and short-sighted goals of the battery powered manufacturing industry”.

Representative Boshart Davis, Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation said, “Unelected bureaucrats should not be making decisions for everyday Oregonians”. Davis said that Governor Brown continues to be the least popular governor in America because she chooses to put her ideology over what is best for Oregon. He said that, “The Oregon House Republicans will continue to be a voice for hardworking Oregonians who don’t feel as though they have one”.

The release said in 2020, Governor Brown signed an Executive Order which directed state agencies to drastically reduce emissions by 2035.