Anne Stava-Murray
A bill that would make Illinois the first state to require warning labels on gas stoves passed the House’s Consumer Protection Committee this week.
The legislation, sponsored by state Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, a Naperville Democrat, would require all new gas stoves sold in Illinois to have a warning label detailing asthma risks associated with gas stove emissions. The bill would apply only to gas stoves manufactured on or after Jan. 1, 2024.
In a news conference to tout the bill Tuesday, Stava-Murray was joined by public health advocates from the Respiratory Health Association and the Illinois Public Interest Research Group.
“Studies have linked gas stove usage and asthma risks for more than 50 years, yet lack of education and federal regulations leave consumers largely unaware,” a news release from Stava-Murray’s office stated. “Labeling new stoves would help Illinoisans make informed decisions about what products to put in their homes.”
The bill would not ban gas stoves or require existing stoves to be modified or removed, the release said.
The label, which would be required to be attached to the gas stove “in a conspicuous location,” would read as follows:
“WARNING: Gas stoves can release nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide inside homes at levels exceeding the EPA’s standards for outdoor air quality. The presence of these pollutants may exacerbate preexisting respiratory illnesses or lead to the development of asthma, especially in children. Gas-powered stoves should never be used without a ducted vent hood to reduce exposure to these emissions. Visit (website link) for a guide on how to choose the right range hood for your stove.”
Read more here.
Those representatives in Springfield should be working on something useful to their constituents………….like, how to get control of, and lower property taxes maybe? Or, getting a handle on workman’s comp reforms? Things that are driving good, productive people out of Illinois.