Evil Trucks

Making the world a safer place.

Sacramento, July 18 2016

In an emergency meeting of the Senate Public Safety Committee a number of emergency legislative proposals have been sent forward to the full Senate for their approval.

If the Governor signs these bills they would represent a landmark step towards regulating the dangers of Trucks in our nations public spaces.

“After the truck attack in Nice France, it became mandatory that the Senate finally move forward on legislation to regulate these dangerous weapons.” Said Senate Pro-Tem Alfredo Lipshitz. “We have been screaming for years that these assault trucks need to be regulated and 90% of all truck owners agree with this common sense truck regulation.”

To expedite the legislative process SB 101, SB 333, SB 682, and SB 1123 were amended to incorporate new language.

This somewhat unique legislative process was first used in implementing gun control legislation, and the success they had with that has created a mechanism for fast tracking important legislation.

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Typically a bill must be introduced, and then sent to committee for public comment, and physical impact before being introduced to the full Senate.  Through this amendment process and existing bill that has stalled in committee can be effectively gutted and new language put in place to help expedite the process.  In this case SB 101 was originally a bill limiting the use of farming tools exclusively to union members, was amended to be the Commercial Vehicle Registration Act.  SB 101 now requires that all trucks that weigh over 1 ton be required to have a manual “outside the cab” gear select device.  Basically, each time the vehicle moves to a higher gear the truck operator must physically exit the cab, lift the hood and manually switch a device on the engine allowing the vehicle to achieve a higher rate of speed.

“We know that when someone intent on violence uses a truck as a weapon they want a high rate of speed.  Needing to exit the cab each time they want to go faster makes it easier for Law Enforcement to intervene, and stop the carnage.”  Said Senator Lipshitz.

Senate Bill 333 would make it illegal for someone to rent or loan a truck to someone who is not directly known to the owner.  Lobbyists for the Sally Center for the Prevention of Vehicle Violence explain that in many instances a perpetrator will simply rent a vehicle from an industrial supply house and then use that vehicle for the purposes of killing people.

“No regular person needs a truck.  If for some reason there is an actual requirement for a truck then a truck and driver can be hired from a federally licensed facility.”  Said Meagan Cranston from the Sally Center Campaign.

Senate Bill 682 would make it mandatory that each person that buys gasoline be licensed for the purchase, and would prohibit the transaction from occurring at the pump.  Each individual will need to go inside the gas station, show a card, and provide a thumb print before actually pumping the gas.

Finally Senate Bill 1123 would make the possession of any vehicle over 1 ton a finable offense.  ($100 for the first infraction, and $500 for each subsequent infraction.)

Senate Bill 1123 has been a source of controversy for a number of years now.  Many in the legislature view the presence of Large Capacity Trucks as they have been referred to, as not necessary, and potentially a major threat to both the citizens at large, as well as law enforcement.

“There is no legitimate argument that is persuasive for a large capacity vehicle, not now, not before.  What the public is becoming aware of is the deadly threats the large capacity trucks pose to the public.”  Said Senator Lipshitz.

“If France had banned the possession of large capacity trucks then that man caused event in Nice would never have happened and those people would still be alive today.  I just can’t understand why anyone would argue against this bill.”  Said Senator Lipshitz.

“We need to pass these now and get them to the Governors desk.  We need to do this for the Citizens of California.  We need to do this to honor the Citizens of France.  We need to do this now, for the children.