By State Rep. Brooks Landgraf
As a general rule of thumb, if California is doing something, then it’s a safe bet to do the opposite. It’s no secret here in West Texas that many in Washington, D.C. get this rule straight up backwards, but unfortunately some politicians in our great state do too.
In July of last year, the State of California, home to Hollywood liberals and state budget deficits, enacted its ban on all small gasoline-powered engines, including lawn mowers, gas generators, and power washers.
Concerned that they would miss out on the new liberal fad, left-leaning politicians who now run the City of Dallas recently proposed a plan to phase out the use of small gasoline-powered engines by 2027.
We’ve known for years that the big cities in Texas regularly enact ordinances that limit individual liberty, constrain business, and make government bigger. Thankfully, most of these ordinances remain far away where the only people they can hurt are those who live in the major population centers.
But the Dallas engine ban is different, and it would directly harm the hard-working people of West Texas by reducing the demand for gasoline, discouraging new investment in the Permian Basin, and weakening the Texas economy as a whole.
In response to these threats, I proudly sponsored Senate Bill 1017 and authored House Bill 2374.
This week, I am thrilled to announce that the Texas House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 1017 by a vote of 116 to 30. SB 1017 boldly counters the big city politicians who want to California our Texas in two ways.
First, SB 1017 ensures that local governments cannot adopt or enforce any regulation or ordinance that limits access to gasoline, diesel, or any other fuel source.
Second, SB 1017 prohibits local governments from directly or indirectly prohibiting or restricting the use, sale, or lease of an engine based on its fuel source.
Since my first election to the Texas State House, I have fought hard for the interests of West Texans. As your state representative and the chairman of the House Environmental Regulation Committee, I will keep fighting for common sense legislation like this that makes Texas more free and protects oil and gas jobs. No big-city politicians are going to California our Texas on my watch. I will continue to fight and win for West Texans and our way of life, whether it be politicians in the city hall of Dallas, politicians in the Texas House, or politicians in the White House.
God bless Texas!
