MN Dems Push Bill Banning Sale Of New Gas-Powered Lawn Mowers

ST. PAUL, MN — A bill introduced by two Democrats in the Minnesota House would ban the sale of new gas-powered yard equipment. The ban would include new gas-powered lawnmowers, leaf blowers, clippers, chainsaws, string trimmers, and edgers.

Snowblowers are exempt from the bill.

The legislation was introduced Monday by Reps. Heather Edelson and Jerry Newton. It was referred to the House Commerce Finance and Policy committee.

Read the bill below:

[325F.187] FOSSIL FUEL POWERED LAWN AND GARDEN
EQUIPMENT; PROHIBITION.

(a) On and after January 1, 2025, new lawn and garden equipment sold, offered for sale,
or distributed in or into Minnesota must be powered solely by electricity.

(b) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given:

(1) "lawn and garden equipment" means any of the following types of equipment powered
by a spark ignition engine rated at or below 19 kilowatts or 25 gross horsepower:

(i) lawnmower;

(ii) leaf blower;

(iii) hedge clipper;

(iv) chainsaw;

(v) lawn edger;

(vi) string trimmer; or

(vii) brushcutter; and

(2) "spark ignition engine" means an internal combustion engine in which the air-fuel
mixture is ignited by a spark.

Together, Newton and Edelson also introduced a bill requiring new ice resurfacers, such as Zambonis, to be electric.

This session, Democrats have used their majorities in the Minnesota Legislature to measures restricting the use of carbon-based energy.

Last week, Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill that will require utility companies to generate electricity from 100 percent carbon-free resources by 2040.