The California legislature recently passed a measure that would give money to low-income households in the state who do not have a vehicle.
The measure applies to single-filing people who don’t have a vehicle and have an adjusted gross income of $40,000, as well as those who file together and make up to $60,000 and don’t have cars of their own. They could get a $1,000 refundable tax credit if the bill becomes law. It now goes to Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), who is anticipated to sign the measure, according to The Washington Post.
“SB 457 will be a dramatic attempt to remedy the challenges of not owning a car in California,” Marc Vukcevich, of Streets For All, said in a statement, per the Post. “SB 457 incentives folks to not own a car, rewards them for that good behavior, and provides them money for alternative forms of transportation.”
A plan was originally to give the credit to more people. It would have provided $2,500 to any California taxpayer who didn’t have a car, and there would have been no income requirement. It would have also applied to households with fewer vehicles than people.
“As the impacts of climate change are felt across our state, it’s time we more aggressively commit to implementing modes of sustainable transportation,” state Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D-CA), the bill’s author, said in a statement to the Post. “SB 457 is an important step towards that goal.”
California is pushing to be a leader in major climate initiatives. The legislature also recently passed a measure that would create zones for new oil and gas wells, requiring them to be placed 3,200 feet away from places like schools and hospitals. The state also officially banned the sale of all new gas vehicles by 2035, and then proceeded to tell people not to charge their electric vehicles during certain times over the holiday weekend as peak temperatures are expected over the course of several days.
The legislature did, however, vote to keep the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant up and running five years longer than expected, in a likely attempt to offset the problems caused by the state’s quick shift to renewable energy that can’t keep up with the demands of the grid.
In August of 2020, rolling blackouts afflicted the state. Even though Newsom was in favor of shutting down the nuclear plant in the past, he shifted his view recently, likely in an attempt to avoid another summer of energy shortages.
Ben Zeisloft contributed to this report.