In a 60-7 vote, the House chamber passed a bill recently that would require emissions stickers to be placed on new cars being sold at Rhode Island dealerships.
The bill would require the stickers to provide information comparing the emissions of global warming gases from the vehicle with the average of other vehicles that model year, as well as the emissions ratings for the vehicle with the lowest emissions from that year.
The bill was met with criticism from several Republican House representatives, who said the measure would be unnecessary and wasteful. Minority Whip Nicholas Gorham (R-Dist. 40) said “You can find it out on the Internet or in a magazine…people are already informed. It is a waste of plastic for people who don’t care about that.”
Representative Charlene Lima (D-Dist. 14) said the state already has stickers on many items relating to environmental efficiency. “It’s a consumer protection [issue]. We put stickers on washing machines with efficiency ratings.”
The bill, which is partly modeled on a similar California law, has no companion bill in the Rhode Island Senate at the moment.
At one dealership, Sales Manager Dana Browne of Courtesy Auto Group in Pawtucket said he is not in favor of the stickers because of expenses that would go into putting them on the cars.
Vinnie Tessitore, a sales associate with Bald Hill Subaru Dodge in Warwick, however, said he is in favor of the stickers. He said Subarus have low emissions gases, but more people may become interested in low emissions if the stickers are implemented.
“Usually people more involved with the environment know…but it would help. Even people who weren’t interested would be drawn to that,” he said.
The legislation would impact all new cars that are either sold or leased for the 2010 model year. The stickers would include information on so-called global warming gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride.
The legislation would apply to passenger vehicles or light-duty trucks used for noncommercial personal transportation purposes, as well as new leased vehicles.
Republican Minority Leader Robert Watson (R-Dist. 30) responded to a question on the House floor during the debate on the issue of why car dealerships had not appeared at the committee hearing with regard to the sticker legislation.
“Rep. Gorham was correct,” Watson said. “Maybe the car dealers didn’t show up because they knew they wouldn’t [have a say].”
The floor debate included several references to a representative who drives a large sports utility vehicle and who also is supporting the bill. An even larger vehicle was also discussed - the Hummer - which one representative referred to as a “rolling pollution factory.”
According to the bill’s sponsor, Representative Donna Walsh (D-Dist. 36), there are currently two states with laws already requiring auto emissions stickers: California and New York.
