Reply to "New Smog Legislation for California"

If you're finding this confusing, here's the changes in a nutshell:

The bill affects only those vehicles in California currently required to be smogged biannually, that are 15 years old or older. For these vehicles the frequency of smog inspections would be increased to annual inspections.

Vehicles exempt from biannual inspection shall remain exempt from annual inspections too. No changes for cars less than 15 years old.

The bill is set to become law in 2008, therefore vehicles built during model years 1976 through 1993 would require annual inspection that year.

Folks driving hot-rodded cars now, free from inspection shall remain free from inspection.

They seem to be targeting vehicles that are suspected to have a higher likelyhood to be gross polluters. It seems they already made compromises for the classic car/hot rodder hobbies. I would guess they knew the bill would be destined for defeat if they targeted vehicles currently exempt. They are operating on the assumption that if the exempt cars remain exempt the bill will have less opposition.

Not commenting pro or con, I would like to observe that this is one of the more benign pieces of smog lesgilation I've seen the green state try to enact. What's up, is the air pollution lobby mellowing out?

Thanks for posting the info Tom.

George