California Dems Kill Bill Backed by Jay Leno That Would Have Exempted Classic Cars from Emissions Regulations

Not even legendary comedian and car collector Jay Leno could persuade California Democrats to ease up on their suffocating regulations.

The Assembly Appropriations Committee blocked Senate Bill 712—better known as “Leno’s Law”—a measure sponsored by Republican Sen. Shannon Grove that would have granted relief to classic car owners. KABC-TV confirmed the bill’s defeat last week.

According to Grove’s fact sheet, SB 712 “offers a practical solution for owners of collector vehicles that have difficulty complying with the state’s smog check law.”

The legislation, championed by Jay Leno, would have permanently exempted vehicles 35 years and older from California’s stringent smog-check requirements. It also would have ensured exemptions when such vehicles are transferred to new owners.

“These classic cars are infrequently driven, carefully maintained, and make up only a fraction of cars on the road,” the fact sheet noted. “Exempting them from the biennial smog check would strengthen California’s ‘car culture’ by helping preserve these historical treasures.”

The proposal emphasized that forcing classic cars to meet modern emissions standards was “an overreach by the government” and pointed out that most other states already exempt vehicles over 25 years old from smog checks.

But Democrats on the committee weren’t interested.

In an Op-Ed for Auto Wire, columnist Steven Symes blasted Sacramento lawmakers, writing that the bill’s failure “was too good to be true in the regulatory hellscape known as California, especially with so many politicians there deciding internal combustion engines are literally killing the planet.”

“Everyone knows why this bill was killed: the party that controls California has waged open warfare on any car that burns gasoline. That means your classic ride is public enemy number one,” he warned.

Symes pointed out that California has been at the forefront of radical EV mandates and has even floated the idea of banning the operation of gasoline-powered vehicles entirely.

“What this latest move signals is that if you’re a classic car owner and love the hobby, but you happen to reside in California, now is the time to make your exit,” he wrote.

His parting advice to gearheads leaving the state: “Don’t bring the political mess you left along with you. Vote differently if in the past you’ve supported the nonsense which has led to this aggressive push against your beloved hobby.”