Highlands senator launches petition drive

Rob Rolison, who represents Beacon and Philipstown in the state Senate, has launched a petition against proposals to ban the use of fossil fuels in new buildings starting in 2025 and the sale of fossil fuel-powered heating systems by 2030.

Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled the proposals in her State of the State address on Jan. 10. The Beacon City Council is considering its own ban on the use of natural gas and heating oil in new buildings.

Rolison, a Republican who won the 39th District state Senate seat in November, said the ban would have an “adverse impact” on families and businesses.

“We can all agree that protecting the environment should be a nonpartisan issue,” he said. “But preventing middle-class homeowners and small business proprietors, such as restaurant owners, from efficiently cooking in and heating their homes in a cost-effective way is a recipe for disaster.”

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