Senate Republicans have voted 51 to 44 to overrule a waiver that permitted California to adopt stricter air pollution standards for vehicles, a significant legislative shift affecting the state's ambitious zero-emission vehicle mandate. The repeal also extends to medium- and heavy-duty vehicle regulations, countering the trend seen in sixteen other states following California's lead. Despite prior rulings affirming the waiver's validity, this vote marks a significant challenge to California's plans to transition to zero-emission vehicles, set to require significant sales increases by 2026 and total compliance by 2035. A flat growth rate for zero-emission vehicle sales was observed in 2024, sparking concerns among automakers about feasibility.
Senate Republicans voted 51 to 44 to repeal a waiver that allowed California to enforce stricter air pollution standards, impacting the state's zero-emissions vehicle mandate.
The repeal vote contradicted the advice of the Senate parliamentarian and the Government Accountability Office, which ruled that the waiver should remain intact.
Collection
[
|
...
]