Washington State Wants To Send You To Prison For Using A Gas Powered Leaf Blower
A bill has been filed in the Washington State legislature that would send you to prison if you use gas powered outdoor equipment. House Bill 1868 would outlaw the use of the equipment starting in January 2026 and would send violators to prison.
From the Independent Women’s Forum:
A bill in the Washington State legislature could criminalize ownership of gas-powered leaf blowers if enacted.
House Bill 1868 claims “gasoline-powered and diesel-powered landscaping and other outdoor power equipment emit a host of air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, carbon dioxide, and other pollutants, contributing to climate change and negatively impacting public health.” The bill says it’ll incentivize the transition to phasing out of gas-powered equipment by deploying “tax relief” and a “temporary grant program” for carbon neutral equipment.
Should the legislation pass, the ban will go into effect in January 2026. Failure to comply, were HB 1868 to pass, would result in 364 days imprisonment in county jail, a $10,000 penalty, or both. But there’s a catch: there will be exemptions carved out on a “temporary basis” for government agencies, commercial, or residential uses if “a suitable zero emissions outdoor power equipment technology does not exist to satisfy the needs of the specific use case.”
Washington State isn’t the only place mulling this ban.
Washington, D.C. will phase out leaf blowers in 2024. Miami Beach, Florida, and Evanston, Illinois, already have ordinances banning their use in place. Seattle City Council enacted a leaf blower phase-out for city usage by 2025 and homeowners by 2027, respectively. And California will institute a statewide ban on gas-powered outdoor equipment commencing next summer, as well.
Of course, it’s not a surprise that the electric equipment is not as effective as gas powered equipment. Not that the elitist control freaks who are proposing this bill actually care.
The claim that gas powered outdoor equipment is as harmful to the environment as driving a car is absurd. The fact is that this equipment is not used as often as people drive cars. They are used intermittently, just like the wind and solar power generation they love so much.
It is also no surprise that these people want to throw people in prison for using a lawnmower. It seems that every solution to combating “climate change” always results in less power to the people and more power to the government with the added feature of making your life miserable.
Oh and they always seem to carve an exemption for themselves in legislation like this. Kinda like how these guys always fly private jets to their climate conferences held at posh resorts and convention centers while trying to make it more difficult for you and me to travel.
If electric powered outdoor equipment was actually popular, it would not be necessary for the state governments to ban gas powered equipment. Hopefully sanity will prevail in Washington State and this legislation will be defeat if it is brought up to vote.
