Another California Senate Bill to repeal the emissions exemption.

[KaptKaos]

Saw this on 914World. Evidently they try this every year. Might be another trial balloon, but it might not.

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An introduction in California's state legislature could evict classic cars from public roads. A recent report from the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) notes a bill was introduced in the California State Senate that would repeal the state’s current emissions-test exemption for pre-1976 vehicles registered by new owners in the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District.

The District covered by the the proposal, also known as S.B. 1549, includes eight counties in California’s Central Valley: San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and the valley portion of Kern.

Under the bill, new owners seeking to register a pre-1976 vehicle in these eight counties after the beginning of next year would be subject to emissions tests for the life of the car. Currently, these vehicles are exempt. The California Senate Transportation and Housing Committee is expected to consider the proposal April 1.

SEMA notes that California’s current emissions testing exemption acknowledges these vehicles' minimal impact to the environment, not to mention the dwindling portion of this population of vehicles.

Pre-1976 antique and classic vehicles are overwhelmingly well-maintained, a SEMA news release attests. Additonally, repeal of the exemption in the San Joaquin Valley could lead the state legislature to target other areas.

The SEMA Action Network (SAN), the association's legislative arm, urges the industry to contact state legislators in order to speak up on S.B. 1549.
__________________________________________________ ______________

Please contact Senator Dean Florez voicing your opposal to bill S.B. 1549.

E-Mail: Senator.Florez@sen.ca.gov
Phone: (916) 651-4016
Fax: (916) 327-5989

Sample email below:

To: Senator Dean Florez
Re: S.B. 1549

Senator Florez – I am opposed to bill S.B. 1549 for the following reasons and I strongly encourage you to focus your efforts on improving air quality elsewhere.


California’s current emissions testing exemption recognizes the minimal impact of pre-1976 motor vehicles on emissions and air quality.

Pre-1976 vehicles constitute a small and shrinking portion of the overall vehicle population in California and are a poor source from which to look for further emissions reductions.

Pre-1976 antique and classic vehicles are overwhelmingly well-maintained.

Legislators and regulators are again feeling the heat from a failed effort to meet air quality goals and are looking for a convenient scapegoat. The old car hobby should not carry the burden of their mistakes, as it has in previous amendments to the old car exemption!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Crazy.

I swear if they eliminate the exemption, that'd be the last straw and I'd seriously GET OUT of Kalifornia and take my start-up business, income, business and contributions to the economy elsewhere, over my wife's objections if need be, but that would absolutely do it for me. Enough of this crap from our "father knows best" legislature.

Control freaks, the lot of 'em.

How 'bout rounding up and kicking the several MILLION illegals out of our state. That'd cut our carbon footprint quite a bit more than persecuting a few old car owners. But I guess it's just simpler to penalize the legal, tax-paying citizenry. . .

[Mule]

Heaven on Earth!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Actually, looking at the text of the bill, it might only be for "residents living with the San Joaquin Valley" who happen to have pre-1976 vehicles. I'm not 100% on that though. Someone check the text before I shoot off an e-mail:

http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_1501-1550/sb_1549_bill_20080222_introduced.html

Maybe someone more familiar with this bill can comment more clearly on it. I don't have time to sit and parse over every word of the proposed legislation before I comment on it.

[KaptKaos]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Actually, looking at the text of the bill, it might only be for "residents living with the San Joaquin Valley" who happen to have pre-1976 vehicles. I'm not 100% on that though. Someone check the text before I shoot off an e-mail:

http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_1501-1550/sb_1549_bill_20080222_introduced.html

Maybe someone more familiar with this bill can comment more clearly on it. I don't have time to sit and parse over every word of the proposed legislation before I comment on it.

Does it really matter? If they pass it there, they will pass it for other counties.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by KaptKaos

Does it really matter? If they pass it there, they will pass it for other counties.

exactly, that is how the tailpipe sniffer test started

If they were actually interested in emmisions, they would go after the diesel trucks. They don't care, they are trying to look like environmentalists without making anybody that matters mad. Looks like this bill applies to NEW owners. So if you already have an old car, you are exempted, unless you try to sell it to someone who lives in the restricted area.

How many people own old cars? Not enough to get the attention of the legislature. They are trying to eliminate older cars completely. I can tell you without even looking the sponsor of this bill is a Demoncrat.

interesting, state website down

[juanbenae]

you are pissing up a rope with florez cat. he authored the bill that failed to repeal the 30 year rolling exemption some years ago. it was passed a year or two later by my local rep. i forget the see you in toledo that autherod the bill that eventually did repeal the 30 year rolling exemption but she is all my district's. i watched that one close as my 78 was handed the chicken bone.

the more this shat happens the more likely i am to go to dedicated track car in the future. i really dont drive it much on the road anymore anyway and swapping exhaust every two years is already old.

i do agree about the diesel truck, and florez is a repub....

T$

[red-beard]

25 year exemption here...

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Texas is sounding better and better. . . I swear it won't take much more of this kind of B.S. from this state to push me out of here. Between housing and the anti-business climate I'm already pretty down on this place. That might be the straw that breaks the camel's back. . .

[legion]

I thought this thread was going to be about California's exemption from federal emissions guidelines.

[boba]

I know it will not help you left coasters but for those of us in the rest of the country we will be more that happy to give those old polluting longhoods a home here where after 25 years we have freedom.

Oh, freedom, that is something you no longer have out there, is it. I heard they want to set your home thermostats from the central office. I feel for you guys, especially since my oldest is living out in the land of la la.

It would be nice to see sanity return for you guys.

[legion]

Originally Posted by boba

I heard they want to set your home thermostats from the central office.

That's okay, they can just call this guy:

[look 171]

Originally Posted by boba

I know it will not help you left coasters but for those of us in the rest of the country we will be more that happy to give those old polluting longhoods a home here where after 25 years we have freedom.

Oh, freedom, that is something you no longer have out there, is it. I heard they want to set your home thermostats from the central office. I feel for you guys, especially since my oldest is living out in the land of la la.

It would be nice to see sanity return for you guys.

No, but they do demand what kind of light bulb to install in your bath and kitchen when you remodel. Its the law. Have fun in la la land. ******* tree huggers.

[frogger]

Originally Posted by boba

I know it will not help you left coasters but for those of us in the rest of the country we will be more that happy to give those old polluting longhoods a home...

Yes, I am happy to help you left coast boys and girls.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Here's a draft of an e-mail to both Senators Florez & Lowenthal (who happens to be the Sen. for my district). Please comment/cut&paste/whatever. I'll probably send this later today (or a modified version of it).




To: Senator Dean Florez, Senator Alan Lowenthal
Re: S.B. 1549

Senators – I wish to voice my opposition to bill S.B. 1549 for the following reasons:

1. Efforts to improve air quality should be focused on large-scale emitters, industries and entities, not by a witch hunt against individual private vehicle owners.

2. This bill would unfairly target two specific groups: the poor (who drive older, less-expensive vehicles out of necessity) and the collectors, restorers and enthusiasts who own them for nostalgia and as a hobby.

3. Those individuals who drive older vehicles out of necessity because they don't have a lot of money typically do not drive any more than necessary (especially with the direction fuel costs are heading). As such, their impact on air quality is minimal, if not negligible.

4. Those individuals who own and drive older vehicles as a hobby (restorers, collectors, etc.) typically do not operate them very often out of a desire to keep them in pristine condition, due to "collector car" insurance mileage restrictions or out of unwillingness to put their vehicles in "harm's way" on the congested and dangerous roads of our state on a regular basis. As such, their impact on air quality is also minimal, if not negligible.

5. This bill would represent the "first domino" falling in what would undoubtedly become a statewide repeal of the pre-1976 emissions exemption. This would utterly destroy the automobile collecting hobby in California, which is a part of our history, culture, tradition and marketable image. "Car culture" helps to bolster tourism, investment and sales in the state today. To undermine this would undoubtedly levy a financial penalty against our state - losses in revenue due to fewer vehicle sales, registrations, etc. as collectors and enthusiasts move their hobbies elsewhere.

6. The negligible impact of older vehicles on overall state air quality is a position which has been upheld by the state by allowing emissions testing exemptions in the first place. Already, the previous "rolling 30-year clock" has been eliminated, freezing the exemption at pre-1976 for all time. This is already a HUGE concession on the part of the owners of older cars, since the number of pre-1976 vehicles can only decline over time.

- - - - -

To repeal this exemption now would be only to admit that our representatives "got it wrong" up to now and in so doing, failed the citizens of this state. The number of pre-1976 vehicles on the road declines every day.

This represents a "witch hunt" against private citizens, rather than focusing state regulatory efforts where they belong - on large-scale emitters. Clearly, the logic behind this bill is suspect and it should be rejected.

Please help to restore common sense to the debate about air quality by rejecting this measure and focusing debate where it matters - on large-scale emitters such as port shipping activities, trucking and heavy industry. Thank you for your attention.