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Message from the President:

Well our 2008 conference is over and it went extremely well. My thanks to
everyone that attended and participated to make it so successful. One thing
that came out of the conference is our need to increase membership to continue
to build our footprint in Sacramento. As most of you know, it’s numbers that
count. If all members would go out and recruit at least 5 new members it would
mean a great increase in numbers .Our legislatures, due to the budget crisis,
are trying to attach fees to darn near everything to increase the dollars
coming in. These fees are a new name for taxes, and most of us object to them.

The ACCC, working with Senator Florez, has worked out a complete change in
SB 1549. It is now a DMV study bill on how to ID the classic cars (everything
from street rod to classic and muscle cars) in our hobby. This bill can lead
to further legislation to help protect our hobby and has 100 percent of our
support; it has passed thru all committees and is in the Senates suspense file
with the DMV, working to help get it out of the suspense file.

The ACCC is aware of several car club councils throughout the state and
would like them to join the ACCC. We know of 4, the Bakersfield Car Club
Council, the Inland Empire Car Club Council, the High Desert Car Club Council
and the San Diego Car Club Council; they represent 158 clubs. This is a very
good way to keep everyone informed of the goings on in Sacramento. Any club or
individual can join through our web site www.acccdefender.org

Just some closing, facts there are 32 million cars registered in
California. Think about that when the legislators want to impose more fees on
our cars.

Fred Evenson

President ACCC

2008 ACCC LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE REPORT

The 2008 legislative conference went well and we had more delegates in attendance than the 2007 conference. We still need to encourage other clubs and individuals to send a representative to future conferences. Tuesday May 6, 2008 was a great day for a classic car display on the West steps of the state Capitol. We had 28 vehicles in attendance and KFBK radio and Fox 40 News interviewed the ACCC. There was a short article at 10:00 pm Tuesday night on Fox 40 News. A Board meeting was held at the Memphis BBQ restaurant on Tuesday evening.

The first day of the conference at the Towe Automobile Museum on Wednesday was a full non-stop day with Senator Hollingsworth, CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow, Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries, Dennis Clear from the DMV, Alan Coppage from the Bureau of Automobile Repair, Amy Brown (ACCC Lobbyist) and Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa. Thursday the agenda included John Brueggeman who is a Senator from Montana and a Director for SEMA, Assemblyman Martin Garrick, Assemblyman Michael Villines and Greg Vlasek from the California Air Resources Board.

John Brueggeman from SEMA discussed a new “Green Rod” bill that relates to AB619 (Vehicle Amnesty). It is supposed to help the Special Construction Vehicles (Kit cars). Complete details are forthcoming, but it appears to only deal with fuel injected kit cars. Dennis Clear talked about SB 1549 (Florez) that was amended as result of ACCC involvement. Senator Florez was not able to attend the conference, but he did send a letter to be read to our membership. The letter stated “ I would like to thank the ACCC for working with me on SB 1549 which I have authored. This proposed law would require the Department of Motor Vehicles, by January 1, 2010, to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature that evaluates California’s classic car special license plate program. ACCC has brought to me a number of ideas which will help get SB1549 passed, and I greatly appreciate this input.”

“I value our relationship and look forward working with the ACCC in an effort to better the classic car hobby in California”

Sincerely,

Dean Florez,

16 th Senate District

Air Resources Board has agreed to sit down with a representative from the ACCC and try to work out a win/win on any issues that could be detrimental to the car hobby.

On Friday May 9, 2008, there were 16 attendees that went on a tour of the CHP Academy. The tour was 4 hours and the officers that conducted the tour well represented the various areas of the Academy which included the Memorial fountain, EVOC (1.9 mile test track for cadet training), gun range, Assembly line for outfitting new patrol vehicles, SWAT vehicles and motorcycles and an excellent lunch was provided by the Academy for all attendees.

I want to encourage all of the delegates that attended the 2008 conference to talk to your friends and other car enthusiasts and ask them to attend the 2009 conference.

Thank you,

Bob Stearns

ACCC Legislative Conference Chairman

ACCC Legislative Alert: SB-1549 Update

Dear ACCC Supporters,

It gives me pleasure to announce that the Association of California Car Clubs (ACCC), through working with Senator Dean Florez and his staff, has completely rewritten SB 1549 to be a DMV study bill. SB 1549 will study the feasibility of a license plate program to exempt our cars from the smog check program.


The amended bill can be viewed Here on the State's web site. 


Again the ACCC thanks all of you for your support and if you are not a member now's the time to join.


Thank you for your support!


Sincerely,


Fred Evenson

President - Association of California Car Clubs 

Information of SB-1549


SUBJECT:

License plates on historical vehicles


DESCRIPTION:

This bill requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to evaluate its programs that provide special license plates for historical vehicles and to report its findings to the Governor and Legislature.

ANALYSIS:

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), upon initially registering a vehicle, issues the owner license plates, which the owner must affix to the vehicle to identify it.  Since the 1920s, California has had many plate background and character color combinations.


In 1963, California replaced all existing license plates with the yellow-on-black plates.


From 1963 through 1969, DMV issued both passenger and commercial vehicles the yellow-on-black plates. DMV continued to issue the yellow-on-black plates to commercial vehicles and pick-up trucks until 1972.


Beginning in 1970, DMV issued yellow-on-blue plates, and then in the 1980s, began issuing blue-on-white plates. Many vehicles on the road today that date from the 1960s and 1970s display the yellow-on-black or yellow-on-blue plates. Only those vehicles on the road from that time that lost their plates or had their plates damaged, display newer plates.


More information:: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_1501-1550/sb_1549_cfa_20080410_164846_sen_comm.html


To learn more about the Association of California Car Clubs visit our website www.acccdefender.org 

California Senate Transportation & Housing Committee

(Click here to email all Committee members)

Senator Alan Lowenthal – Chair
Phone: 916/651-4027
Fax: 916/327-9113
Email: Senator.Lowenthal@sen.ca.gov

Senator Tom McClintock
Phone: 916/651-4019
Fax: 916/324-7544
Email: senator.mcclintock@sen.ca.gov

Senator Roy Ashburn
Phone: 916/651-4018
Fax: 916/322-3304
Email: senator.ashburn@sen.ca.gov

Senator Gilbert Cedillo
Phone: 916/651-4022
Fax: 916/327-8817
Email: senator.cedillo@sen.ca.gov

Senator Ellen Corbett
Phone: 916/651-4010
Fax: 916/327-2433
Email: senator.corbett@sen.ca.gov

Senator Bob Dutton
Phone: 916/651-4031
Fax: 916/327-2272
Email: senator.dutton@sen.ca.gov

Senator Tom Harman
Phone: 916/651-4035
Fax: 916/445-9263
Email: senator.harman@sen.ca.gov

Senator Christine Kehoe
Phone: 916/651-4039
Fax: 916/327-2188
Email: senator.kehoe@sen.ca.gov

Senator Jenny Oropeza
Phone: 916/651-4028
Fax: 916/323-6056
Email: senator.oropeza@sen.ca.gov

Senator Joe Simitian
Phone: 916/651-4011
Fax: 916/323-4529
Email: senator.simitian@sen.ca.gov

Senator Tom Torlakson
Phone: 916/651-4007
Fax: 916/445-2527
Email: senator.torlakson@sen.ca.gov

Senator Leland Yee
Phone: 916/651-4008
Fax: 916/327-2186
Email: senator.yee@sen.ca.gov

Please e-mail a copy of your letters to Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org 

California Senate Transportation and Appropriations Committee

 Transportation and Housing

Transportation and Housing Committee meets every Tuesday at 1:30 P. M. in Room 4203, unless otherwise stated in the Senate Daily File.

JURISDICTION:   Bills relating to the operation, safety, equipment, transfer of ownership, licensing and registration of vehicles, aircraft and vessels. Legislation affecting the Department of Transportation and the Department of Motor Vehicles. Bills relating to waterways, harbors, highways, public transportation systems and airports. Bills relating to housing and community development, including those that affect state housing programs for low- and moderate-income families, housing elements and land use approvals for housing developments, the housing obligations of redevelopment agencies, manufactured housing, building codes and standards, common interest developments, and enterprise zones.

Appropriations

Appropriations Committee meets every Monday at 10:00 A.M. in Room 4203.

JURISDICTION:   Bills that are subject to Joint Rule 10.5 and are not referred to the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. Bills that constitute a state-mandated local program.

Members:
Senator Tom Torlakson (Chair)
Senator Dave Cox (Vice Chair)
Senator Samuel Aanestad
Senator Roy Ashburn
Senator Jim Battin
Senator Gilbert Cedillo
Senator Ellen Corbett
Senator Robert Dutton
Senator Dean Florez
Senator Sheila Kuehl
Senator Jenny Oropeza
Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas
Senator George Runner
Senator Joe Simitian
Senator Darrell Steinberg
Senator Mark Wyland
Senator Leland Yee

Addresses & Staff:
Staff Director: Bob Franzoia
Consultants: Miriam Barcellona Ingenito, Nora Lynn, Mark McKenzie, John Miller, Maureen Ortiz, Dan Troy
Assistants: Sally Ann Romo and Krimilda Hodson
Phone: (916)651-4101
Room: 2206

California Bill to Require ANNUAL Emissions Tests for Vehicles 15-Years Dead for the Year

In a major victory for enthusiasts in California, the Senate Appropriations Committee rejected SAN-opposed legislation (A.B. 616) that threatened to require annual Smog check inspections for vehicles 15-years old and older.  After having been approved previously by the full California Assembly and the Senate Transportation Committee, the bill is dead for the year. 

“Car clubs and individual hobbyists across the state loudly and forcefully objected to passage of this bill,” said SEMA Vice President of Government Affairs Steve McDonald.  “Ultimately, the lawmakers in Sacramento heard their message.”

Through thousands of phone calls and emails, SAN members were able to convince committee members that these vehicles constitute a small portion of the overall vehicle population and are a poor source from which to look for emissions reduction.

In correspondence to his constituents, Senator Dave Cox expressed his opposition to the bill, “I have not yet seen any evidence that 15 year old vehicles pollute our air substantially more than 14 year old vehicles.  Declaring all vehicles 15 years or older are guilty of being gross polluters without any empirical data is backwards and does not reflect the spirit of the law.”

Of additional concern to the enthusiast community were provisions in the bill that would have required that funds generated through the additional inspection fees be deposited into an account which could be used to scrap older cars.

“We are especially indebted to those legislators who opposed the bill because it would have placed an undue burden upon car owners simply because their vehicle is older than an arbitrary date set in law,” McDonald added.

The SAN would like to thank the countless individuals and car clubs whose dedication and persistence in contacting lawmakers in Sacramento as this bill moved through the legislative process.  Special thanks to the Association of California Car Clubs for the coordinated effort by their member clubs in opposing this bill.

2008 Registration Form Click Here!

Next year's conference is May 6th, 7th, and 8th of 2008, at Towe Auto Museum. For information on next years conference please contact Bob Stearns at Taznova1@netzero.net

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To locate your state representatives, look in the front of the phone book under State Government. Or call the California Senate general information hotline at (916) 455-4311. Or go to www.sen.ca.gov or www.leginfo.ca.gov

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