If you live in CA, call your legislators:
This year, Mustang enthusiast and California State Senator Doug LaMalfa
introduced a bill to exempt all motor vehicles prior to the 1981 model
year from the emissions inspection requirement. Simply put, Senate Bill
1224 seeks to recover some of the ground that was lost in 2004. Already,
hundreds (if not thousands) of Californians have responded to the call
in support of the measure.
S.B. 1224 would provide an exemption for only one-half of one percent
of California vehicles on the road today. Hardly an overwhelming
number, said SEMA Vice President of Government Affairs Steve McDonald.
Not surprisingly, opposition is coming from the states air quality
management districts, which argue that this bill increases the burden on
regions to meet air quality standards set by state and federal governments.
This bills success will certainly make it easier for Californias
enthusiasts to enjoy a wider array of classic vehicles, including sports
cars and trucks. However, victory would also represent a common sense
solution to an unnecessary burden on old car collectors and lower-income
citizens. The idea behind exempting any class of vehicles is to reduce
costs while not losing appreciable emissions reductions, McDonald
added. This strategy builds support for emissions inspection programs,
but also directs finite resources to where they will be most valuable in
cleaning the air. In light of hard economic times and Californias
continued commitment to focusing limited resources where they can be
most efficient in creating clean air, S.B. 1224 is a no brainer.
At press time, S.B. 1224 had been granted reconsideration after failing
to be approved by the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on a
3-4 vote, with two committee members not voting. The bill will be
reconsidered in a future committee hearing.
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