Rep. Martin Causer, R-Bradford, is pictured during a news conference in Harrisburg in September.

Gas stoves and furnaces aren’t going anywhere anytime soon if Rep. Martin Causer, R-Bradford, has anything to say about it.

Causer is circulating a co-sponsorship memorandum in the state House of Representatives seeking support for legislation that would prohibit the state or muncipalities from taking action to ban certain appliances based on the type of energy they use.

“Pennsylvanians deserve better than to have their freedom restricted by an overly involved government that thinks it knows better than they do,” Causer wrote in his memorandum.

According to a Jan. 11 CNN report, 20 states with GOP-controlled legislatures have passed so-called “preemption laws” that prohibit cities from banning natural gas. On the other side of the coin, Causer’s bill comes after Richard Trumka, a Consumer Product Safety commissioner, made news in October when he said a gas stove ban was under consideration. President Joe Biden quickly said he doesn’t support a ban on gas stoves.

Causer also chose to act after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed action on existing natural gas recommendations as part of her State of the State address in mid-January. The ban is part of the New York Climate Action Council’s recommendations to move toward a fossil fuel free-power grid that would mean cooking with electric stoves as well as heating homes with electric heat or geothermal heat pumps.

Hochul wants to ban fossil fuel hookups in newly constructed buildings starting with smaller buildings in 2025, and following with larger buildings in 2028. New apartments or homes built afterward would not be permitted to have gas-powered appliances such as stoves, furnaces or water heaters. Hochul is also proposing an incremental ban on the sale of new fossil fuel-powered heating equipment in New York, beginning with smaller buildings in 2030 and larger buildings in 2035.

“It is not the role of government to be dictating to individuals and businesses what kind of appliances we are allowed to have or not have to cook our food or heat our homes and businesses,” Causer wrote. “Taking these drastic actions will greatly impact the lives of everyday citizens. It is important to make clear that we will not tolerate this in Pennsylvania.”