The claim: Wyoming banned the sale of electric vehicles starting in 2035
A Jan. 18 Facebook post (direct link, archived link) claims the state of Wyoming recently took a stand against a green energy initiative.
“Way to go Wyoming,” the post reads. “Banning sales of all elec. cars by 2035.”
The post was shared more than 100 times in six days.
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Our rating: False
While Wyoming state legislators introduced a resolution in January to end the sale of new electric vehicles by 2035, the resolution did not pass and is now considered dead.
Resolution to ban electric vehicle sales ‘effectively dead,’ says co-sponsor
A group of Republican state lawmakers in Wyoming introduced a joint resolution on Jan. 13 that called for the sale of electric vehicles in the state to be phased out by 2035, according to The Washington Post.
But the resolution’s sponsor said he does not actually want to ban electric vehicles, he was just making a statement about the phasing out of gas-powered vehicles in other states.
Contrary to the Facebook post’s claim, the proposal has not passed. The Wyoming state legislature website shows it was most recently referred to committee on Jan. 13, the same day it was introduced.
Wyoming state Rep. Donald Burkhart and state Sen. Dan Dockstader, two of the resolution’s co-sponsors, both said the proposal has not been signed into law.
Burkhart confirmed the proposal was referred to the Wyoming Senate Minerals, Business, and Economic Committee.
“The Minerals Committee did not move the joint resolution, they did not even consider the resolution,” Burkhart told USA TODAY. “In effect, the joint resolution died right there when there was no motion to move it forward. Under our rules here in Wyoming, if a joint resolution or a bill dies at any point in the legislative process, it is done for that legislative session. You cannot bring it back.”
Fact check: Lifetime carbon emissions lower for electric vehicles than gas-powered cars
While the joint resolution can potentially be reintroduced after the current legislative session ends on March 3, Burkhart said he and his colleagues may not bring the proposal forward again.
“We haven’t really talked about that, we might,” he said. “This resolution was more of a statement.”
Other states across the country, like California, Washington and Massachusetts, have adopted rules that will ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.
Our fact-check sources:
- Dan Dockstader, Jan. 25, Email exchange with USA TODAY
- Donald Burkhart, Jan. 26, Phone interview with USA TODAY
- The Washington Post, Jan. 17, Wyoming GOP lawmaker pushes electric-car ban, then says he didn’t mean it
- State of Wyoming Legislature, January, SJ0004 – Phasing out new electric vehicle sales by 2035
- State of Wyoming Legislature, accessed Jan. 26, 2023 Minerals, Business, and Economic Committee
- State of Wyoming Legislature, accessed Jan. 26, Wyoming Manual of Legislative Procedures
- USA TODAY, Aug. 25, 2022, California plans to ban sales of new gas cars by 2035; fines for automakers could come sooner
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