Youngkin declares independence from California

Years ago, California was considered a leader in governance. Thanks to the size of its markets and the perception of being on the cutting edge of technology, California standards often became national standards.

But no more. 

After a decade of solid Democratic Party control, California is now a basket case. From homelessness to crime to the nation’s highest energy prices, California is now a proven failure in almost every policy area. 

However, Democrats in some states still look to California’s lead, as Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam did when he signed a law in 2021 that had been passed by a Democratic-controlled legislature tethering Virginia’s regulation of automobiles to the rules in California.

California regulators had mandated that from 2018, at least 4.5% of cars sold in the state had to be electric. That percentage would be raised by 2.5% every year thereafter, maxing out at 22% of cars sold in 2025. Manufacturers that failed to reach this percentage would have to pay a fine or buy credits from manufacturers that surpassed the threshold.

Just 9% of cars sold in Virginia are electric, meaning most car companies violate the regulation.

California then updated its regulations, to take effect this coming January, further raising the minimum percentage of cars that must be electric. Under California’s new standards, all cars, trucks, and SUVs sold by 2035 must be electric. The new California regulation is a ban on the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles.

Virginia’s Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares recognized a legal opportunity presented by these mandates. According to legal analysis by Miyares, Virginia is not bound by California’s new mandates, and since the old ones will soon be inoperative, Virginia is not bound by that mandate either. So come January, Virginia will be free of Californian control.

“Once again, Virginia is declaring independence,” Youngkin said on Wednesday, June 5. “This time from a misguided electric vehicle mandate imposed by unelected leaders nearly 3,000 miles away. … The idea that the government should tell people what kind of car they can or can’t purchase is fundamentally wrong. Virginians deserve the freedom to choose which vehicles best fit the needs of their families and businesses.”

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Despite the fervent wishes of President Joe Biden and California Democrats, the public does not want electric vehicles. They are unreliable, have limited range in cold weather, and they have limited range when asked to carry additional weight. It is hard to find charging stations on long trips, and they are expensive to buy and even more expensive to repair.

Congress never intended to give the Environmental Protection Agency power to ban gas vehicles as Biden and the Democrats are trying to do. California can ban them if it wants. Millions of families are already leaving California every year anyway. But the once-golden state should not be able to force its misguided policies on other states, and Youngkin is right to lead Virginians out from under California’s thumb.