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No, April Fuel’s day hasn’t come early: Wyoming really has just introduced a bill with the hope of phasing out the sale of electric vehicles from 2035.

You’ll note that’s the same year California, and other states following Cali’s lead, will outlaw the sale of new gas cars, and that’s no coincidence. Rep Senator Jim Anderson told Cowboy State Daily that he wanted “to push back against bans on new sales of cars with internal combustion engines in states like California and New York.”

Though the resolution has support from members of the state’s House of Representatives and Senate, it’s, in reality, more about raising awareness of how some states, including Wyoming, could be negatively affected by the switch to EVs. Senate Joint Resolution 4 only calls for residents to voluntarily limit the sale and purchase of EVs, albeit with the goal of phasing them out altogether by 2035.

So what exactly is Wyoming’s problem with EVs? First, the charging infrastructure in less populous states like Wyoming, which has fewer than 600,000 inhabitants, won’t be as widespread or practical as it is in New York or California. Some rural communities still don’t have broadband internet, never mind car chargers.

Related: The Complete List Of Eligible Cars For The $7,500 EV Tax Credit

Wyoming Wants To Ban Sales Of EVs By 2035
The bill claims EVs could raised unemployment and be impractical in rural areas

But a bigger concern is the threat to employment. Wyoming produced over 85 million barrels of crude oil in 2021, making it the eighth most productive state. Text in the bill notes that “oil and gas production has long been one of Wyoming’s proud and valued industries,” and references the large number of jobs it has provided in the state for more than a century.

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“I’m interested in making sure that the solutions that some folks want to the so-called climate crisis are actually practical in real life,” co-sponsor Senator Brian Boner told Cowboy State Daily. “I just don’t appreciate when other states try to force technology that isn’t ready.”

Boner acknowledged that the resolution was “tongue-in-cheek” but is designed to raise awareness of a situation some might not have considered. “It’s a very serious issue that deserves some public discussion,” he added.