Liberal City Tries To Tax Buildings Using Gas After Court Smacked Down Its Outright Ban On Gas Stoves
New York State To Require New Buildings To Be Zero-Emissions, Banning Gas Furnaces And Gas Stoves
Nick Pope
Contributor
August 08, 2024
A deep blue city in California is teeing up a tax on larger buildings that use natural gas after a federal court rejected the city’s attempt to ban gas hookups and stoves, according to The Daily Californian.
The city council of Berkeley, California, voted on July 30 to put an initiative on the upcoming ballot that would impose taxes on buildings that are 15,000 square feet or larger and use natural gas, according to The Daily Californian. In 2019, the city tried to enact an outright ban on constructing new buildings with natural gas hookups, and gas stoves by extension, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned the ban in April 2023 following a legal challenge against the policy brought by California Restaurant Association.
The official title for the ballot measure is the “Large Buildings Fossil Fuel Emissions Tax,” and it would affect more than 600 buildings in Berkeley if a simple majority of voters approve it at the ballot box, according to The Daily Californian. The measure’s proponents characterize it as an important step to fight climate change, but its opponents in the food service industry and beyond are concerned that the tax will place a steep burden on businesses and force commerce out of the city.
https://dailycaller.com/2024/08/08/berkeley-gas-buildings-tax-stove-ban-smacked-down/#google_vignette
