DOVER, Del. - Senate Republican Whip Brian Pettyjohn's Senate Bill 96, which would prevent the DNREC'S ban of the sale of new gas and diesel powered vehicles, is going to receive a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
Officials say the hearing will be held by the Senate Environment, Energy and Transportation Committee.
According to the Republican Caucus, the introduction of the bill was done in response to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's proposed regulation which would adopt California’s Advanced Clean Car II’s vehicle emission standards. If this regulation came to be, sales of new vehicles under 14,000 pounds with standard combustion engines would be banned in lieu of zero-emission vehicles (mostly electric vehicles) starting in 2035.
Officials say that the there are several polls that show an overwhelming number of Delawareans oppose the proposal, including 73% of those surveyed in February of this year. Another study, which they say was also conducted in February, showed 18% of respondents either somewhat or strongly support Delaware adopting California’s language regarding electric vehicles.
“The outreach from constituents in the 19th Senate District and voters throughout the state has been enormous,” said Pettyjohn (R-Georgetown). “Nearly all have voiced opposition to the mandate, including many who are generally more progressive in their opinions on environmental policy.”
They say the legislation comes less than two weeks after the closing of the public comment period for the regulation. They say DNREC received almost 5,000 comments, with 93% of them opposing the mandate.
“Thousands of Delawareans of all political leanings wrote to DNREC asking the Department to not follow through with the regulation,” Pettyjohn stated. “SB 96 would codify the general public’s opposition to this mandate and would preserve their ability to purchase whatever vehicle best fits the needs of their family, business, or personal self.”
The Senate Environmental, Energy and Transportation Committee will meet Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. SB 96 is the only bill on the committee’s agenda.
According to officials, there are some duplicate submissions on the mandate’s public comment page, both in support and opposition. As such, they say the percentage of individuals supporting/opposing may slightly differ from the percentage of comments submitted opposing or supporting the proposed regulation.
