Transportation remains the biggest challenge to clean air and climate protection in car-dependent California. Fortunately, Phil Ting, assemblyman from San Francisco, has proposed a game-changing piece of legislation, Assembly Bill 1745, also known as Clean Cars 2040.
Vehicles that run on fossil fuels are responsible for nearly 40 percent of California’s total greenhouse gas emissions, so electrification of transportation is crucial for the health of our people and the planet. Assembly Bill 1745 would unleash market forces by requiring that all new passenger vehicles registered in California would be zero-emission starting in 2040.
The Center for Climate Protection is leading an all-out effort first to get AB 1745 voted into law. This will take a statewide effort. The campaign kicks off locally with a Call to Action meeting in Santa Rosa at the Glaser Center on March 22.
The bill is in the Assembly Transportation Committee right now and is due to be voted on in mid-April. The top priority is to get eight yes votes from the transportation committee so that the bill advances to the Assembly floor. Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, who represents parts of Sonoma, Napa, Lake and Yolo counties, may be a swing vote on the committee. Her constituents need to let her know that they want her to vote yes on AB 1745.
What else can you do? Show up and bring your friends to the launch and rally on March 22. We need everyone who supports clean air and climate protection to be there. You can also sign and share the Center for Climate Protection’s online petition in support of AB 1745 at climateprotection.org.
To RSVP for the kick off meeting or for more information, contact [email protected].
Jane Bender served on the Santa Rosa City Council for 10 years, including service as mayor from 2004–06. While in office, she championed the greenhouse gas emission targets, among other climate-protection initiatives.
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