House GOP Leader Breese-Iverson blasts DEQ move to ban gas-powered vehicle sales by 2035

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – Oregon House Republicans released the following statement Tuesday after the Environmental Quality Commission approved a rule to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035.

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 Oregon. This rule is based on vehicle emission standards adopted by the State of California in August. 

“This is the latest out of touch example of what our state agencies and commissions have become,” said House Republican Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson, R-Prineville. “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.”

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

In 2020, Governor Brown signed Executive Order 20-04 which directed state agencies to drastically reduce emissions by 2035. In 2021, Governor Brown set the most unrealistic timeline for moving to unreliable electricity sources in the United States – driving up costs for low- and middle-class families.