DETROIT, July 3 (UPI) -- Ford, General Motors and a dozen other automakers are lobbying California Gov. Gray Davis to veto a landmark emissions bill that would impose a limit on carbon dioxide coming from vehicle tailpipes.
The legislation, passed in the General Assembly late Monday by a slim one-vote margin, would authorize the California Air Resources Board to reduce permissible carbon dioxide emissions from cars and light trucks beginning in 2009 to combat global warming.
The car companies say tighter emissions regulations in the nation's most populous state with 35 million residents would force the industry to build more costly, fuel-efficient vehicles. GM and Ford launched a public anti-emissions bill campaign this spring before a revised version of the legislation was approved.
Davis, who is running for re-election in November, called the bill good public policy, but has not indicated whether he will sign or reject the measure supported by environmentalists. A recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found 62 percent of state residents believe government should act to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases linked to global warming and climate change.
California historically has led the nation in enacting strict clean air standards.
