SWCDuke

The Senate Transportation Committee approved AB 2683 (Lieber), which
eliminates the 30 year rolling emission test exemption by a vote of
8-2. The "no" votes were Senators McClintock and Brulte.

This is unbelievable when you look at the emission reductions as
a fraction of other sources, but this is the same legislature that spent
the windfall capital gains tax revenues from the late nineties on new programs that require annual funding and in the next few years after the stock market bubble burst nearly drove the state to bankruptcy and ran up $35 BILLION in debt - about $1000 for every resident of California.

Last year we fired the governor for his lack of leadership in keeping
the legislature under control. You'd think that all the legislators
would have gotten the message, but most of them apparently have not.

THEY ARE STILL OUT OF CONTROL!!!

If they pass a budget bill before the end of July, they will have a
summer recess and reconvene on August 2 with this biennial legislative
session concluding at the end of August. AB 2683 will likely come to a vote
in the full Senate before the end of August, so now is the time to
contact YOUR state senator.

Ask them what the claimed 6.0 tons per day savings in "ozone precursor"
emissions quoted in the latest legislative analysis (June 25) at http://www.senate.ca.gov is as a
fraction or percentage of "ozone precursor" emissions from ALL sources.
They probably won't know, so ask them to request the data on totals from
the Air Resources Board (ARB) so the number can be computed. (Hint: It
is a very small fraction of one percent.), and then ask how this bill
can be justified under California Vehicle Code Section 5050:

"The Legislature finds and declares that constructive leisure pursuits
by California citizens is most important. This article is intended to
encourage responsible participation in the hobby of collecting,
preserving, restoring, and maintaining motor vehicles of historic and
special interest, which hobby contributes to the enjoyment of the
citizen and the preservation of California's automotive memorabilia."


Attached is the latest version of my Word package that has hot links to
all the useful web sites. [E-mail me - dukewilliams at netzero dot net - if you want the Word file with the backup data and hot links to all the relevent web sites.] Please read it and save it and visit the links to educate yourself on AB 2683 and its progress through the legislature. Also pass this note on and add the attached package to any interested party. We need to flood every senators office with inquires about this bill.

Duke

Surfer69

Good work. We definitely need to fight this. I will be doing the things you recommend starting right now.

humiliategravity

Thanks for the update. However, maybe I have this wrong, but I read the bill and it seems to me that they are moving up the exemption date from 1974 to 1976. That's a good thing for us.

Did I miss something? Here's the link to the bill text:
http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/...mended_asm.pdf

Fevre

Not if you own a 77 vette, it will always be tested, imagine trying to keep it smog legal in another 30 years. :shocked:

SWCDuke

That's an old version of the bill and you read it wrong.

Go to http://www.senate.ca.gov or http://www.assembly.ca.gov and click "legislation" and type "2683" into the bill box then read all the available information.

Just because you own a '75 doesn't mean you are off the hook. They'll come after your car next year and the year after. This thing will never end until we demand that they stop.

Duke

Jughead

Ca legislature has been out of control for a long time. Too many envioro-weenies. They won't be happy until no cars are on the road.

Ls1Rat

this sucks :mad

MotorHead

Unbelievable what a bunch of losers you have running the show down there. How many 30 year old cars are on the road ? If you got rid of them all it would not make any difference to smog levels. I feel sorry for you people in that state, every time I buy something from the states now it states it causes cancer but only in California, you have to reel these weasels in.

humiliategravity

I'm usually the first one to jump on the bandwagon against Sacramento, but I'm still not with ya'll on this one. I re-read the bill, and I'm pretty convinced that this is a relaxation of the smog-testing requirements. Allow me to cut and paste:

"Existing law exempted from those requirements, until January 1, 2003, any motor vehicle manufactured prior to the 1974 model-year, and after that date, any motor vehicle that is 30 or more model-years old. This bill would instead, commencing April 1, 2005, exempt from the smog check requirements, and the smog check compliance requirements, any motor vehicle manufactured prior to the 1976 model-year."

That was the amendment on May 20th of this year, so I don't think it's an old version. It was read on the floor 3 times last month, referred to the Committee on Transportation on June 9th, and recommended to pass on June 30th. No other amendments were made.

Set me straight here, because this is an important issue for California Vette owners and I REALLY don't want my 73 to get smog checked. Where in the bill does it state that the exemption will be lifted?

ductape

I feel for you guys I've got a '77 that has to be tested here (down to a '75 model) and it's a pain. The sad thing is, 10 miles in most any direction, and no testing is required at all in the same state! :mad I'm fightin' it here too

71roadster

Im with humiliategravity on this one. I found verbage similar to this in the original submission as well as the ammendment

Section 44011 of the Health and Safety Code is
amended to read:
44011. (a) All motor vehicles powered by internal combustion
engines that are registered within an area designated for program
coverage shall be required biennially to obtain a certificate of
compliance or noncompliance, except for all of the following:
(1) Every motorcycle, and every diesel-powered vehicle, until the
department, pursuant to Section 44012, implements test procedures
applicable to motorcycles or to diesel-powered vehicles, or both.
(2) Any motor vehicle that has been issued a certificate of
compliance or noncompliance or a repair cost waiver upon a change of
ownership or initial registration in this state during the preceding
six months.
(3) Any motor vehicle manufactured prior to the 1976 model-year.

fauxrs

Thanks for the update.. my letters have been sent. I reccomend everybody take your letter and save it as a .dot file if you use word. If we manage to prevent its passage this year, you will be sending the letter again next year and each and every year thereafter until either the world runs out of petroleum products or they manage to overturn it.

Its not ever going to go away my friends, the threat is there and I suggest those of you who, like me, enjoy liking in the republik of Kalifornia, keep all of your smog gear because sooner or later.... you're gonna wish you did.

Jughead

So as Fevre said above. 1977 and newer you're screwed. In 2010 1977+ newer would still get tested. They've eliminated the 30 year rolling exemption.

SWCDuke

The bill as currently written will end the 30 year rolling emission test exemption and freeze it at the current 1975 model year. All '76-up vehicles will require emission tests in perpetuity.

If you have a pre-'76 model there is no doubt in my mind that if AB 2683 passes and is signed by the governor there will be future attempts to roll back emission testing to model years that are currently exempt.

All vintage cars enthusiasts need to contact their state senator and ask what the estimated 6.0 tons per day savings in "ozone precursors" that the provisions of this bill save by 2010 is as percentage of TOTAL "ozone precurcor" sources. Ask you senator's office to get the total for you from the ARB. Then compute the percentage.

It will be a very small fraction of one percent!!!

Keep bugging them to get an answer then ask if hundreds of thousands of California vintage car owners should have to go through the emission test nightmare for an insignificant saving.

Tell Sacramento to quit beating up on car guys! Get pissed off and act!!!

Duke

Paul Borowski

The "insignificant saving" of the ozone is not what they are after. It is the millions of dollars they'll receive for the "testing" fees from classic/antique car owners :mad

fauxrs

Dont you just hate being right? also they (in their minds anyway) Arent targeting classic/antique car owners.. in thier mind we are all driving around in filthy jalopies with duct taped windows and no headlights. The Kalifornia legislature sees no material difference between you and I in our meticulously maintained and restored Corvettes and Juan maria Hernandez, the underpaid illegal strawberry picker in his thrashed out - oiling like nobodies business 1972 Nova

Rick86

Its not just about emmissions. They will still fail you on visual if you don't have the equipment or your car has been modified. It is sad when your car can be pumping pure oxygen and still fail the smog check because you have headers that are not CARB certified. :mad

Shark Racer

HumiliateGravity and 71Roadster-

Prior to this bill, a 30 year rolling exemption was in place, 74 was exempted in 2003, 75 in 2004. 76 will be exempted because of the time it takes to update the DMV, so they threw into the new bill. However, this bill cancels the 30 year rolling exemption. In 2006, 77s would be exempt, in 2007, 78s would be exempt and so on.

However, with this new law, 77+ cars will never be exempt.

Does it make sense now?

-Steve

humiliategravity

Yeah, that's what I gathered. I can see how the new law would evoke some discontent from people with 77+ cars waiting for 2007+, so I understand why classic cars owners would be against it.

But let me play the liberal's advocate - surely there's a buttload of smog being produced by cars in California, so *some* kinds of regulations should be in place. Around 75 were the first years of the catalytic converter, so maybe the purpose of the amendment is to set the exemption date of cars produced before then. That way, nobody without a catalytic converter (presumably) would have to pass smog... then again, maybe I'm giving Sacramento too much credit for looking after our best interests....

This seems like a fairly reasonable compromise to me between acquiesing us few polluters and responsible environmentalism, so I'm not jumping out of my skin to protest it. I think it could either way with classic car owners, but the important point is that the old cars in California that didn't have to pass smog before this law still don't, and those that did have to pass smog mostly still do (except the 75's and 76's). It just sucks for the 77+ owners who were waiting until 2007+... sorry guys.

Okay, hit me. I'm ready.

Dave

bogus

Lots. I just moved here, and it is stunning to see the number of older cars in regular use. It's the climate. No rust... limited extreems... no snow... no road salts...

more than likely, no. Considering the overall number of cars in SoCal, even with the higher numbers of older cars, they don't make up a huge percentage.

It's not all bad... the wording of that message is annoying, at best. It makes you think that the cancer causing agents only exist in CA, and not, say, PA.

I live in Delaware, up to about a week ago... and I vividly remember watching a story on LA's air quality issues.

LA is a basin. The mountain ranges around this area trap bad air. In the early 60s, "smog" was discovered, so to speak. They isolated the chemical reactions causing it. And the endemic conditions here that make it worse - those mountains. On the tops of tall buildings here, they put these filter traps. To capture the airborne particles so they could test them. In the early 60s, these traps, made of thick white filter paper, would be black as coal in 24 hours. At the time of this report, they were light grey after 3+ months.

Bastet44's mom grew up in LA. She remembers as a girl walking to school and her lungs burning from the crap in the air.

For all the annoying behaviors of CARB and such, they have done an amazing job of cleaning up the air.

What they need to do now is find a happy balance between some of these draconian messures and reality. They have even discussed requiring cats on older cars!!!!!!!!!!!! That's real smart.

They have lost touch with reality. They don't trust the automakers (which, to a point I don't disagree), but they have reached a point where they don't trust basic science!

I think my new life here in SoCal will be one to fight this beaurocracy... the entire state's crazed ability to blow money needs to stop.