Not even Mainers want to be California — at least that’s the takeaway after Pine Tree State residents slammed a proposed statewide crackdown on fossil fuels this week.
On Thursday, the Maine Board of Environmental Protection heard feedback on a proposal that would phase out the sale of gas-powered vehicles. According to Bangor Daily News (BDN), Maine’s state government instead incentivizes electric vehicles. The impetus behind this central-planning and government interference is the supposed threat of climate change and is similar to laws in the Golden State.
Maine resident John Barkley, a former California resident, blasted the proposal.
“Don’t turn Maine into California,” he said defiantly.
Barkley wasn’t done, adding that Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) example is not one that Maine should follow.
“I am not a fan of any of these policies,” he explained. “We don’t need Gavin Newsom and the policies of California to come in here to Maine.”
Barkley, who was not alone in his opposition to the government overreach, also questioned who exactly was pushing for this policy.
“I moved to Maine because I wanted to get away to a very peaceful, rural area where my air is just fine,” he explained. “So I question if a lot of this movement is coming from people who do live in a city area versus a rural area.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP
"We don't need Gavin Newsom and the policies of California coming here to Maine." pic.twitter.com/ygdallS2Ta
— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) August 17, 2023
For her part, Governor Janet Mills (D-ME) has said she is against adopting the sort of policy proposed by the Environmental Protection Board — but has made it a goal to have 219,000 electric vehicles registered in Maine by 2030. According to BDN, Maine is still 96% away from achieving that goal.
Individuals like State Representative Joshua Morris (R) questioned the practicality of this plan.
“How often in Maine do people lose power?” Morris posited. “Especially in the winter, if they lose power, they’re not going to be able to charge their vehicle.”
“There are not enough adjectives to describe how bad this policy is for the people of Maine. It’s callous, aloof, unthinking, unfeeling, unworkable, and simply cruel. Hardworking Mainers deserve better from their government than this policy pushed by a far-left extremist group,” Morris added.
As pointed out by The Maine Wire, several of those who argued in favor of the proposal claimed that it didn’t go far enough. The rule would require that 43% of new vehicle sales be zero-emission in 2027 and that 82% of new sales be zero-emission by 2032.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.