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Talk about taking a stand! Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin is putting his citizens first, leading the way in a stand against overreach. In a recent TV throwdown, he challenged the oppressive emissions standards that California bureaucrats are trying to impose upon the good people of his state.

CNN’s Jake Tapper tried giving Youngkin some guilt-trip, criticizing his move to break away from California’s extreme emission standards. But Youngkin, a true statesman, wasn’t having any of it. He defended the right of Virginians to have a free choice when it comes to their own vehicles without unnecessary government meddling or restrictions. It’s a simple belief – trust the wisdom of the American consumer instead of micromanaging their choices via mandates.

In his signature straightforward style, Youngkin rebutted Tapper’s attempts to paint him as anti-environment. He emphasized that his decision was about safeguarding choice and safeguarding citizens’ hard-earned money. He notably pointed out that the emission standards don’t just constrict Virginians’ options, but they also hit people right where it hurts – their wallets. Folks should be able to choose the car that suits their needs and budgets, not be strong-armed into buying electric vehicles because of some out-of-state bureaucrat’s decree.

The thrust of this dispute was about the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) aggressive push to eliminate the sale of gasoline-powered cars. They want them replaced with zero-emission, all-electric vehicles by 2035 and are putting pressure on states to meet absurdly unreachable targets. Electric vehicles may be great for the environment but let’s be real – they don’t have the price tag of your regular gas cars.

Governor Youngkin stated—clearly and unafraid—that these electric vehicles are a tremendous financial burden on Virginians. Even after incentives, they still cost between $10,000 and $50,000 more than conventional gas vehicles. To make matters worse, these new requirements would forcibly push 35% of Virginians to purchase electric cars by 2026, a quick turnaround that seems grossly unrealistic seeing as electric vehicles currently only account for 9% of cars sold in the state.

Youngkin, in maintaining his position, argues that it is imprudent to force a $1.2 billion financial hit on Virginians by obligating them to buy costlier electric vehicles—a stand he repeated during an appearance on CNBC’s Last Call.

In the end, it all comes down to keeping it fair and giving people the freedom to choose their own paths. We applaud Governor Youngkin for leading the way in standing up for the rights of his constituents versus an overreaching carbon-centric crusade. As he succinctly put it, “we are declaring Independence from California electric vehicle mandates.” Indeed, Governor, indeed.

It is clear, conservatives are staunch guardians of freedom of choice. Sustainable progress is important, but it should never come at the cost of individual freedom or financial prudence. Don’t accept the left attempting to control your automobile choices, stand up for liberty and make your voice heard.

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