Eleven Democratic attorneys general are urging the federal government to regulate gas stoves, the latest move to crack down on the appliance contrary to media claims that the bans are conservative exaggeration.
"The emissions from gas stoves pose severe health risks, especially for sensitive groups and underserved communities" the Monday letter, led by Washington, D.C., attorney general Brian Schwalb, said.
The attorneys general urged the Consumer Product Safety Commission to "develop uniform" standards for gas stoves to "increase consumer awareness" of "health risks." They added that such awareness standards could be "inadequate" so the commission should also pursue "mandatory performance standards" that control how the appliances operate.
The letter comes months after it was reported in January that the Biden administration was pursuing regulations on gas stoves. The media largely mocked conservatives who raised concern over the reports. One Time headline read, "How Gas Stoves Became the Latest Right-Wing Cause in the Culture Wars."
Then guidance from the administration in March revealed a new rule that would ban the sale of half of all gas stoves on the U.S. market. A federal appeals court struck down a California city's natural gas ban in late April, leading liberals to call for federal crackdowns.
The New York legislature passed a law on May 2 barring gas stoves from new buildings. Democratic governor Kathy Hochul defended the measure, saying, "We do have to transition."
Liberal advocacy groups asked the Biden administration to stop using the term "natural gas" and instead use a less friendly term like "fossil gas" or "methane gas."