Sacramento, CA - With gas prices climbing toward $5 a gallon and consumers demanding more fuel-efficient vehicles, the California legislature today passed a resolution by Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) which, if the Bush Administration acts upon it, would provide long-term relief for consumers and the environment.  Assembly Joint Resolution 53 urges the President to grant waivers that have been requested by California and several other states in order to implement new greenhouse gas emissions reduction standards for new motor vehicles.   After passing the Assembly last month, the measure sailed through the State Senate today with bi-partisan support. 

“The federal government is deliberately stalling to block nearly half the states in the nation from regulating harmful vehicle emissions that are a leading contributor to global warming,” Huffman said. 

18 other states have adopted or are considering California’s greenhouse gas emission limits.

In December 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Stephen Johnson denied California the necessary waiver to enact its 2002 tailpipe law regulating vehicle emissions.  Earlier this year Johnson indicated that the EPA might delay action on greenhouse gas emissions until President Bush leaves office.  In response, Attorney General Jerry Brown and 17 other states sued the EPA in April requiring that the EPA release its internal finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health.

Governor Schwarzenegger also supports California’s efforts to reduce tailpipe emissions.  He has been quoted as saying: "the U.S. EPA has failed to lead, it has failed to follow the states' lead and we are prepared to force it out of the way in order to protect the environment."

AJR 53 now heads to the Secretary of State’s office where it will chaptered.  Copies of the resolution will be sent to the President and Congress.  The resolution notes that California has implemented more stringent motor vehicle air emissions regulations than the federal government for over 40 years.  It also describes that the EPA administrator has never denied a request by the state in over 50 cases to reduce vehicle emissions standards until last year’s denial by Johnson.