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Opponents tell committee that a proposed anti‑EV resolution misstates facts and misleads Montanans
Summary
House Joint Resolution 12, criticizing electric-vehicle policy, drew testimony from clean‑transportation advocates and a Montanans for Affordable Energy representative who said the resolution contains inaccurate or misleading claims about EVs and Montana energy security.
The committee recessed following a hearing on House Joint Resolution 12 after opponents told senators the measure contains misleading or incorrect statements about electric vehicles.
Jesse Thierien, a representative of Yellowstone‑Teton Clean Cities, said the resolution includes false claims — for example, that there was an ‘‘EV mandate’’ to be rescinded and that EVs routinely achieve only 10–300 miles of range. Thierien said the average Tesla range exceeds 330 miles and that modern trucks can exceed 400 miles, and he argued that EVs reduce dependence on imported oil because a substantial portion of Montana’s fuel supply is derived from Canadian crude. He said Montana is a net electricity exporter and that driving an EV supports Montana energy security.
Karen Kirk of Montanans for Affordable Energy also urged rejection of the resolution, describing firsthand experience using an EV in winter and noting that home charging makes many cold‑weather concerns easier to manage. Kirk said the resolution’s assertions that EVs are unsuitable for Montana driving and that an EV mandate exists are misleading and could harm consumers by discouraging lower‑cost driving options.
Committee members took questions of the witnesses and recessed the hearing to continue at a later date; no committee vote is recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.
