This Household Item to Be Banned in Missouri & Illinois in August

I understand the government regulating some things. I get it. There's a reason for rules and laws. However, I'm a bit mystified why a common household item is about to be banned in homes in both Missouri and Illinois late this summer and I'm not the only one miffed by it.

The Hill is reporting that the feds are about to flip the switch (pun intended) on the ban of the sale of incandescent light bulbs. That means beginning in August, you will not be able to walk into a retailer in Missouri or Illinois and buy these type of lighting elements. Bummer. Beginning August 1, you will only be able to buy LED bulbs.

The Hill says the US government is banning incandescent light bulbs because of alleged cost savings and the environment adding "will save Americans nearly $3 billion yearly and substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions over 30 years". There are 3 important words that caught my eye. "And the environment".

I don't normally add my opinion to stories like this since I'm not a political person, however I'll make an exception. I've tried LED light bulbs. Did they last longer than incandescent bulbs in my experience? Nope. Not at all. I will allow for the possibility that I got some bad ones, but I couldn't tell any difference in the lifespan and it certainly didn't feel like I was saving money since the LED light bulbs are so freaking expensive.

It would appear that I'm not the only one who disagrees with this light bulb ban.

Let's be fair and share the opinion of those who tout the benefit of LED light bulbs over incandescent bulbs.

I'm not understanding why consumers aren't being allowed to make their own decision on which type of bulbs to use. If LED's really are superior, their value will become apparent as people use them and see proof that they really do last longer. I'm great with items that don't harm the environment, but this new ban on incandescent bulbs feels like unnecessary overreach to me.

Guess if you want incandescent light bulbs, you better buy them from store shelves before they disappear at the end of July.