Bill Text: MI HR0026 | 2023-2024 | 102nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to oppose any attempt by the President of the United States or the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban the use of gas stoves.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 14-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2023-02-01 - Referred To Committee On Government Operations [HR0026 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2023-HR0026-Introduced.html
house resolution no.26
Reps. Wendzel, St. Germaine, Bezotte, Wozniak, De Boer, DeSana, Bollin, Friske and Rigas offered the following resolution:
Whereas, Banning the use of gas stoves is yet another example of Orwellian, paternalistic, overreaching encroachment on state sovereignty and citizens’ rights from the federal government. Over 40 million households in the United States have gas stoves. An outright ban is over-encompassing and severely limits consumers’ choices about the kinds of appliances they can have in their homes; and
Whereas, Banning the use of gas stoves would unnecessarily regulate the hospitality industry and destroy small businesses. Nearly 76% of restaurants use natural gas as a cooking energy source, including 87% of full-service restaurants and 60% of limited-service restaurants. Professional chefs and restaurant owners prefer natural gas stoves because of their cost savings, the ability to control an open flame, and the ease of use and longer lifespan for gas ranges. Approximately 94% of restaurant owners believe that banning gas stoves would hurt their businesses, because a flame is critical to cooking a variety of dishes. Some restaurants, like Asian restaurants, rely exclusively on gas stoves and grills to create a taste and spectacle that is unique to their restaurants and cannot be achieved with electric stoves. Banning gas stoves would require restaurant owners to convert existing building infrastructure to handle a new energy source. The costs associated with these conversions would destroy local and independent restaurants, which are still recovering from the debt accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic; and
Whereas, Banning the use of gas stoves in favor of electric stoves does not help the environment. The electricity used to operate an electric stove must have a power source. In 2021, coal provided the largest share of Michigan’s electricity generation at 32%, followed by nuclear energy at 30% and natural gas at 27%. Renewable energy only provided about 11% of Michigan’s net electricity generation in 2021, with wind energy accounting for three-fifths of that power. Thus, electric stoves are not more environmentally friendly than gas stoves; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we oppose any attempt, current or future, by the President of the United States or the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban the use of gas stoves; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Chair of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.
