Stop the Roadblock to Missouri's Electric Vehicle Future

I urge you to oppose HB 1511 (Murphy) and SB 1172 (Ben Brown). These bills would force local governments in St. Louis City and County to pay for all cost associated with electric vehicle (EV) charging station mandates. They would needlessly hinder the most essential function of counties and local governments in Missouri, which is planning ahead to meet the changing needs of their constituents. These bills would prevent growth. Missouri is 7th in the country in electric vehicle use. However, many cities and neighborhoods lack accessibility to charging stations. Oftentimes, lower income areas are left behind in electrification. By limiting cities’ ability to plan for electrification, legislators could exacerbate this issue. This bill would prevent Missourians from moving towards the cleaner future they want and deserve. Additionally, transportation is currently a capital drain on our economy because Missouri does not produce gasoline. Fueling electric vehicles with electricity generated in Missouri would reverse this trend. Studies also show that cost savings for electric vehicle drivers translate into local economic benefits. Moreover, these bills would harm our health because current transportation pollution plays a serious role in undermining the health of Missouri residents. Missouri has struggled to meet the national standards for smog, leading to breathing problems and premature death. Rapid electrification of the transportation sector would greatly improve these health problems. Finally, these bills would cause local governments to miss out on Federal funding. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act created a $5B National Electric Vehicle program and a $2.5B Charging and Fueling Infrastructure grant program. The restrictions found in these bills could tie the hands of local Missouri governments to the point where they could not access some of these competitive grant, costing us all access to these resources.