Now that the warm weather is upon us, many of us are ready to get outside and fire up the grills. Grilling can mean different things to different people: some cook right on a campfire, out in the open, holding a hot dog over the fire with a stick; there are those who prefer charcoal, and some who prefer propane; then there are high-tech grillers using the latest innovations to prepare meat, vegetables and even dessert on a grill the size of a small car.

One of my colleagues, Sen. Eric Schmitt, discovered recently that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has initiated a funded study into the emissions produced by backyard grills. The EPA may be considering regulating the use of outdoor grilling, and is even studying a type of catalytic converter technology to reduce emissions produced by BBQ grills.

I’m a firm believer in air quality and environmental safety, but this is blatantly over-reaching by the arm of the federal government into our personal lives and right into our backyards.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want the EPA peeking over my fence to see if I have an apparatus attached to my grill to catch leftover smoke from my pork steaks.

Although Sen. Schmitt filed a last-minute resolution in the final days of session to discourage the EPA from proceeding with the study, the measure failed to pass through the legislature.

Either way, the plight garnered enough attention on the social media circuit to raise awareness of just how far the government may go when it comes to interfering with our daily lives.   

As always, I encourage my constituents to contact me throughout the year with comments, questions or suggestions by calling my office at (573) 751-5713. To find more information about the bills I sponsor, or visit www.senate.mo.gov/brown.

Thank you for reading this and for your participation in state government.