Newsom fries bill requiring tobacco-style warning labels on gas stoves

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is openly hostile toward fossil fuels, but he apparently wasn’t too hot on a bill putting health warning labels on gas stoves, like is required on packs of cigarettes. 

According to the Washington Post, Newsom vetoed a bill Friday that would have required gas stoves to carry a label stating that the appliance has “toxic effects” and emissions are associated with respiratory diseases.

In a veto message, Newsom said that he “appreciated the author’s intent to provide consumers information,” but the language of the label is “highly prescriptive” and couldn’t be altered without future amendments. 

“This static approach falls short in enabling timely updates to the labeling content that should align with the latest scientific knowledge so that consumers are accurately informed about their purchases,” Newsom said.

Supporters of the bill pointed to studies by the anti-fossil fuel nonprofit Rocky Mountain Institute. The study found positive associations between homes with gas stoves and childhood asthma, but critics of the study say it didn’t factor in much broader studies that found no such associations.

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) commended Newsom’s decision to veto the bill, arguing that the label would have been inaccurate and misleading because it implies that ventilation is only needed with gas stoves. In fact, AHAM said in the statement, ventilation is recommended for all types of cooking to preserve indoor air quality.

“Consumers want fair, accurate, science-based information to aid in their decision-making,” Kelly Mariotti, AHAM president and CEO, said.