Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis mulls scrapping taxes on gas stoves

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is lighting up another front in the right-wing culture wars.

The potential Republican presidential candidate said Wednesday that he is considering scrapping all state taxes on gas stoves, which have become an unlikely rallying cry for conservatives amid new warnings about potential health hazards.

“We may even say no tax on gas stoves,” DeSantis said. “We’ll do that. That’s fine with me.”

Drawing cheers from a crowd of supporters, the governor suggested consumers should be able to decide whether to use electric or gas stoves.

“I want you to be able to have a choice,” DeSantis added.

He didn’t explain why making one kind of stove comparatively cheaper and another more expensive would help consumers pick what’s best for them. The state currently levies its standard 6% sales tax on all stoves.

Ironically, Florida ranks dead last in the nation in use of gas stoves, with 92% of Sunshine State homes using electric ranges.

With his national GOP profile rising, DeSantis has gone out of his way to embrace flashpoint conservative issues like the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law and spotlighting the supposed dangers of COVID vaccines.

He calls Florida the state “where woke goes to die,” a signal he will continue to push back against progressive ideas.

Gas stoves suddenly became an odd new political battleground after the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a report this month spotlighting possible health risks to children.

Conservatives railed against what they portrayed as another liberal plot to make Americans feel bad about their consumption habits and polluting ways.

Some local governments including New York City have already banned gas stove hook-ups in newly constructed homes although they have not floated mandating a ban on existing stoves. Some 20 states have responded by banning such bans.

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