Senate Bill 202 by Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, is not really called the Internal Combustion Bill of Rights, but with so much federal and state legislation carrying the “bill of rights” label, it seems like maybe it ought to be.
SB 202, which passed the House on Tuesday and was sent back to the Senate to sign off on a relatively minor amendment, essentially guarantees the right of Oklahomans to use internal combustion engines and gas-fueled stoves — as long as the federal government doesn’t say otherwise.
Specifically, the bill says state and local governments cannot prohibit the use of such devices.
Such legislation might seem unnecessary, but House sponsor Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, said it is because “nationally, we have lost our ever-loving mind.”
Specific to SB 202, Echols was referring to efforts in some cities to ban or restrict internal combustion engines and the installation of new natural gas stoves, as well as furnaces and hot water tanks.
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On Monday, in fact, the 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals tossed out a 3-year-old Berkeley, California, ordinance that outlawed new natural gas piping. According to the New York Times, some 50 California municipalities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, have passed similar bans.
Besides producing greenhouse gases, natural gas ranges have been linked to slightly higher incidents of cancer, according to some studies, and have been shown to leak dangerous chemicals, including benzene.
But just how much greater risk natural gas poses is unclear, especially since it’s been widely used for more than a century without significant health risks being observed.
Echols argued that shutting off natural gas lines and internal combustion engines in one fell swoop simply isn’t feasible.
“Do we want clean, sustainable energy? Absolutely,” said Echols. “The idea that conservatives don’t want clean water, clean air — of course we do, but we want to do it in an economically feasible manner.”
Two of the House’s newest members, Democrats Jared Deck of Norman and Arturo Alonso of Oklahoma City, argued against the bill — Deck on the grounds that it stifles local governments and Alonso because he said it puts Oklahoma at risk of being left behind technologically.
“If we continue to tie ourselves to fossil fuels, we run the risk of being left behind,” said Alonso.
Echols said future legislatures can repeal the bans if they become unworkable, but in the meantime they’re needed to prevent “policies that make no sense.”
“We are going to continue to stand up against polices that crush the working class,” said Echols. “Eventually, we’re going to talk about common-sense solutions.”
SB 202 passed 75-17 but must return to the Senate for final consideration.
April 14, 2023 video. A dispute over who will pay for roughly $245 million in site work at the industrial park means the agreement isn't a done deal yet.
