Response To Letter To Senate On AB 616: Annual Smog Tests
I wrote a letter to the California Senate regarding a mandate for annual smog testing for vintage vehicles. You can read the details here.
I thought I would collect responses to the letter here for a public record and a little learning into remote advocacy.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject below.
Do you own a car made from 1976-1982?
This affects you.
– jc
– Update: Aug 20 - The hearing to consider legislation on this matter has been postponed for now.
– Update: Sept 5 - Victory for now.
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California Bill to Require ANNUAL Emissions Tests for Vehicles 15-Years Dead for the Year
In a major victory for enthusiasts in California, the Senate Appropriations Committee rejected SAN-opposed legislation (A.B. 616) that threatened to require annual Smog check inspections for vehicles 15-years old and older. After having been approved previously by the full California Assembly and the Senate Transportation Committee, the bill is dead for the year.
“Car clubs and individual hobbyists across the state loudly and forcefully objected to passage of this bill,” said SEMA Vice President of Government Affairs Steve McDonald. “Ultimately, the lawmakers in Sacramento heard their message.”
Through thousands of phone calls and emails, SAN members were able to convince committee members that these vehicles constitute a small portion of the overall vehicle population and are a poor source from which to look for emissions reduction.
In correspondence to his constituents, Senator Dave Cox expressed his opposition to the bill, “I have not yet seen any evidence that 15 year old vehicles pollute our air substantially more than 14 year old vehicles. Declaring all vehicles 15 years or older are guilty of being gross polluters without any empirical data is backwards and does not reflect the spirit of the law.”
Of additional concern to the enthusiast community were provisions in the bill that would have required that funds generated through the additional inspection fees be deposited into an account which could be used to scrap older cars.
“We are especially indebted to those legislators who opposed the bill because it would have placed an undue burden upon car owners simply because their vehicle is older than an arbitrary date set in law,” McDonald added.
The SAN would like to thank the countless individuals and car clubs whose dedication and persistence in contacting lawmakers in Sacramento as this bill moved through the legislative process. Special thanks to the Association of California Car Clubs for the coordinated effort by their member clubs in opposing this bill.***
Senator Wyland
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Sincerely,
Mark Wyland
Senator, 38th District
Senator Yee
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California State Senate
Senator Kuehl
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Sincerely,
ELLEN M. CORBETT
Senator, 10th Senate District
(510) 413-5960 (district office)
Senator Oropeza
Thank you for your e-mail. Due to the very large volume of e-mails I receive each day, I ask that you visit my website at www.sen.ca.gov/oropeza to submit your comments. Your views on bills and issues facing the Legislature are very important to me.
Sincerely,
JENNY OROPEZA
State Senator, 28th District
Senator Cox
Thank you for contacting my office regarding Assembly Bill 616 (Jones). I appreciate hearing from you on this issue.
Assembly Bill 616 would require vehicles 15 years or older, with the exception of pre-1976 model cars, to undergo annual smog inspections. Current law requires eligible vehicles to undergo biennial smog inspections.
This piece of legislation would place an undue burden upon car owners simply because their vehicle is older than an arbitrary date set in law. This bill would double the cost for those vehicle owners as they would be required to submit to annual, instead of biennial, smog inspections. Additionally, the arbitrary nature of the 15 year threshold concerns me.
I have not yet seen any evidence that 15 year old vehicles pollute our air substantially more than 14 year old vehicles. Declaring all vehicles 15 years or older are guilty of being gross polluters without any empirical data is backwards and does not reflect the spirit of the law. For these reasons, I oppose AB 616 in its current form.
AB 616 passed from the Assembly on June 5, 2007 by a vote of 46 to 33. The bill is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Again, thank you for contacting me. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to call my office.
Sincerely,
DAVE COX
Senator, First District