[alfa] AB 2683, something you can do

[NortonMarg@xxxxxxx]

This is from the Arcane Auto Society and has all the contact info for various
involved parties if you want to voice your opposition. The email that came to
me has HTML links in it, that you can hopefully cut and paste to use.
Otherwise, email me and I'll send you the original with the clickable links.
Stevan Thomas
73 Berlina

Hi again, everyone,
 
Well, we got trouble in River City.  Seems the Senate Transportation
Committee chose to ignore the pleas of their constituents, auto enthusiasts
and the
automotive aftermarket industry and passed AB2683 along to the Senate
Appropriations Committee on a party line vote, with all Democrats voting in
favor and
all Republicans opposed.  This is a real blow, but the fight is not over. 
With
your help, this feel-good, do-nothing legislation can still be turned back. 
BUT WE DO NEED YOUR HELP!
 
Member John Quilter put it very well when he e-mailed me earlier this week:
 
"Remember these votes next election.  It appears we simply need to get more
Republicans in the state government.  The bill now goes to the full Senate but
given the split of Democrats and Republicans I don't expect the vote to be to
different than in the Transportation Committee.  Our only hope now on this
bill, since it has passed the full assembly and will probably pass the
[Appropriations Committee and] senate, is a veto by Governor Schwarznegger.  
I would
strongly encourage the car hobby to write to him.
 
On a more encouraging note is the passage of SB1784, the bill to define in
the Motor Vehicle Code a car collector and a special interest car.   This bill
has passed the Assembly and the Senate and it is the beginning of an effort to
set our collector cars aside from the bulk of the targeted "old cars".  Only
Senator Dean Flores voted against this bill.  Recall, he was the author of a
bill last year that would have rolled back the smog checks to 1961 model
year.  
He met with such a resounding opposition from the car hobby that he backed
off from this provision of the bill.   It seems he  has not learned from this
and is still against any smog check relief for the car collector hobby or a
codifying of the collector car in the vehicle code."
 
Unlike John, I don't think it is a foregone conclusion that AB2683 will
automatically pass the Appropriations Committee and the full Senate, but he
could
well be right.  Nonetheless, I think it is very important to (1) let our
legislators know we have been watching and are unhappy with their recent vote
in the
Transpiration Committee and will remember & tell our friends come election
time and (2) to let members of the Senate Transportation Committee know the
very
same thing.  On the other hand, member Lea Hyke sent me the following
message, following her receipt of an e-mail from Senator Tom McClintock:
 
oh my gosh! a personal response from a real person! send this
around.....I am truly dumbfounded.

> From: "McClintock, Tom" <Tom.McClintock@domain.elided>
> Date: July 2, 2004 9:28:56 AM PDT
> Subject: RE: AB2683
>
> Thank you for your e-mail and I am in strong agreement that Assembly
> Bill 2683 is a bad bill. As Vice Chairman of the Senate
> Transportation Committee, I have always opposed all such bills. I
> voted NO on Assembly Bill 2683 on June 29th in the Senate
> Transportation Committee. Unfortunately, however, the bill passed out
> of the committee. Be assured that I will continue to fight against
> this bill on the Senate Floor.
>
> Take care,
> Tom McClintock


So, what's next?  This:  We MUST contact our legislators again to continue to
lobby for the defeat of this bill.  THIS IS IMPORTANT, gang.  Please, read
the following message from SEMA, then take action; call and/or e-mail the
members of the Senate Appropriations Committee at the numbers & e-mails listed
following SEMA's message.  Contact your friends, other clubs you may belong
to and
other automotive cohorts to get them involved.  This will require a big push
from all of us.  Let's not let ourselves down by leaving it to someone else.  
Fifteen minutes to a half hour on the phone or at the keyboard to insure our
voices are heard and our legislators get the message will be worth it.  Thanks
in advance for your time and your help!
 
California Emissions Exemption Repeal Bill Will Be Considered by
Senate Appropriations Committee on August 2nd; Final Showdown
        As you are aware, the California Assembly and now the Senate
Transportation Committee have passed A.B. 2683, the legislation that would
repeal the
state's current rolling emissions-test exemption for vehicles 30 years old and
older.  A wide array of business and environmental interests aggressively
support this bill.  The measure would repeal the current pro-hobbyist
exemption
and replace it with a law requiring the permanent testing of all 1976 and
newer
model vehicles.  On Monday, August 2nd, the Senate Appropriations Committee
has scheduled a hearing on this bill.  If the Appropriations Committee passes
this bill, the entire Senate likely will approve it as well and will send to
the Governor for his signature.  Make no mistake, our backs are against the
wall!     

Call Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee (List Attached)
Immediately to Request Their Opposition to A.B. 2683

Even if you have called or e-mailed previously,

it is critical that you make your feelings known once again!


Existing law in California exempts all vehicles 30 years old and older from
emissions testing. 

California's current emissions testing exemption recognizes the minimal
impact of vehicles 30 years old and older on vehicle emissions and air
quality.

Vehicles 30 years old and older constitute a very small portion of the
overall vehicle population and are a poor source from which to look for
emissions
reduction.

Antique and classic vehicles are overwhelmingly well-maintained and
infrequently driven (a fraction of the miles each year as a new vehicle).

Legislators, regulators and stationary source polluters are 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!
And remember these comments from Arcaners:
 
Two major sources of mobile produced air pollution are (1) Diesels, such
as government owned, exempt buses and trucks!  And (2) the dumping of
thousands of
gallons of fuel by jet airplanes as they come into landing at runways at
major airports.  Most people have no idea this takes place, let alone just how
much they dump!  It's considerable!!! The best is to force the issue of
airplanes
and Diesels.  Why, because as one former ARB member told me: "we really do
not know what to do about airplanes"!!!
- Jeff
 
Hi: I live in Canada so can not participate in your letter writing project
about our old cars polluting the air in California, but one thought I have
expressed to similar environmental brain farts here is that one airliner
during
roll and lift off at one of your airports will cause more emissions than every
old car running in the state all day.  Have fun

- Stewart



California Senate Appropriations Committee

Senator Dede Alpert (Chair)
(916) 445-3952
senator.alpert@domain.elided <mailto:senator.alpert@domain.elided>

Senator Jim Battin (Vice-Chair)
(916) 445-5581
Jim.battin@domain.elided <mailto:Jim.battin@domain.elided>

Senator Samuel Aanestad
(916) 445 - 3353
senator.aanestad@domain.elided <mailto:senator.aanestad@domain.elided>

Senator Roy Ashburn<FONT  COLOR="#000000" BACK="#ffffff"
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR:
(916) 445-5405
senator.ashburn@domain.elided <mailto:senator.ashburn@domain.elided>

Senator Debra Bowen
(916) 445-5953
senator.bowen@domain.elided <mailto:senator.bowen@domain.elided>

Senator John Burton
(916) 445-1412
Senator.burton@domain.elided <mailto:Senator.burton@domain.elided>

Senator Martha Escutia
(916) 327-8315
Senator.escutia@domain.elided <mailto:Senator.escutia@domain.elided>

Senator Ross Johnson
(916) 445-4961
Senator.johnson@domain.elided <mailto:Senator.johnson@domain.elided>

Senator Betty Karnette
(916) 445-6447
Senator.karnette@domain.elided <mailto:Senator.karnette@domain.elided>

Senator Michael Machado
(916) 445-2407
Senator.machado@domain.elided <mailto:Senator.machado@domain.elided>

Senator Kevin Murray
(916) 445-8800
Senator.murray@domain.elided <mailto:Senator.murray@domain.elided>

Senator Charles Poochigian
(916) 445-9600
Senator.poochigian@domain.elided <mailto:Senator.poochigian@domain.elided>

Senator Jackie Speier
(916) 445-0503
senator.speier@domain.elided <mailto:senator.speier@domain.elided>
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