"It may not be how you meant it but it sure comes off that way."
That interpretation is up to you.
Like I said, in social media forums, such "conclusions" can be predicted.
Way back in 1989 or so I took a biz trip to the OC. Stayed at the Marriott Newport Beach. Was working for GE and living in WI.
I had traveled with a female colleague for some business meetings.
We were both < 30.
We took a run one afternoon... 3-4 miles.
After that we both wondered why our lungs were aching.
Painful.
And we were on the coast.
One of our local biz contacts walked us to an area between buildings at the hotel... an area that was outside and there was a view eastward.
The sky was orange.
It was smog.
That was 1989 or so.
I had been there a few times before on business, and on the first trip even played a bunch of tennis at that Marriott.
This time was different as it was Summer.
I obviously have not forgotten that experience.
A simple web search can provide plenty of pix of this smog.
Here is some perspective on the recent Bill:
https://www.hotrod.com/features/leno-law-senate-bill-712-advances-california-senate-appropriations-committee
Implementation can be tricky... I suspect that some proponents pointed out that very few 1965 Mustangs are around that might abuse smog exemption.
But it is sausage making.
The gubment incurs costs from smog.
Smog is bad.
How much more smog with simple change of law?
It is sausage making.
"I remember something about the Governator and his motivation for cleaner air. Problem: a Classic 40 year old Porsche that is kept in meticulous condition probably drives a fraction of the miles than a 15-20 year old rust bucket pickup truck that has never been tuned up. Which one does more polluting considering condition and miles?"
How do you ensure that exempted gross polluters don't game the exemption?
Guardrails...
If the Bill had passed, would a person with 1972 911 have to pay $500 for some type of historic plates? And change to a different type of policy? Things they are not required to pay for today?
I have not examine the Bill closely enough to know.
The devil can be in the details.
Implementation of such a Bill might require IT changes at DMV, and on and on, and on. Who pays?
Read the Bill.
What a mess.
I suspect that this may come up again.
I for one don't think sausage making is so easy.
If you knew how the sausage factory was run (including how the sausage is made and how recipes are chosen), would you eat the sausage?
Perhaps folks in CA can figure out how to run their state's sausage factory?
When I was in college and grad school in Hanover, NH, I never experienced any smog.
I am pretty sure if I went to UCLA in that same time period, I would have experienced smog.
One thing for sure:
I would not expect CA to implement the same types of laws about smog as NH, or even TN.