Now that California’s legislative session is over, advocates and interest groups are descending on the Capitol to pressure Governor Gavin Newsom to sign their priority bills.
One bill to restrict large autonomous vehicles in the state is putting the governor squarely between two of his biggest allies: organized labor and California’s tech and innovation industries.
Crowds of Teamsters and labor allies pulled up to the Capitol’s west steps in big rigs Tuesday to rally for AB 316, which would require autonomous vehicles over 10,000 pounds to have a “human safety operator” while on the road.
Large autonomous trucks are currently banned from California’s streets, but some companies are testing self-driving taxis on the streets of San Francisco, to mixed results.
Freight truck drivers raised concerns about 80,000-pound vehicles being on the roads without a human driver or operator to override in case of an emergency.
They also worry autonomous vehicle technology could replace tens of thousands of jobs and said Newsom’s signature on AB 316 could protect workers’ livelihood.
“If he chooses not to do the right thing, he is sending a message not only to California, but also to every state in this great country that technology should overrule middle-class jobs,” said Sean O’Brien, the Teamsters General President.
Organized labor groups staunchly supported Newsom during his 2021 recall election, Teamsters Joint Council 7 President Jason Rabinowitz reminded the crowd of workers.
“We were with him,” Rabinowitz said. “And he promised he would be with us. Now, our jobs are on the line. Our safety is on the line. Our future is on the line, and we want to know, Governor Newsom, which side are you on?”
The governor was in New York for Climate Week Tuesday and couldn’t hear the question or the blaring truck horns outside the Capitol.
Teamsters rally at the California state Capitol to urge Governor Gavin Newsom to sign legislation that would require a “human safety operator” in large self-driving trucks.Nicole Nixon/CapRadio
But his administration sent multiple letters in opposition to the legislation earlier this year, a signal Newsom may veto it.
A letter from Department of Motor Vehicle director Steve Gordon argued the bill “is unnecessary for the regulation and oversight of heavy-duty autonomous vehicle technology in California” since the agency already has the ability to set regulations on self-driving vehicles.
Gordon also noted autonomous vehicles have driven over 18 million test miles in California with zero human fatalities.
“This is in stark contrast to the number of collisions resulting in fatalities and injuries with drivers we see each year,” he wrote.
Another letter from Newsom’s senior economic advisor, Dee Dee Myers, raised concerns about the legislation’s “potential impact on California’s overall economic competitiveness.”
“Our state is on the cusp of a new era and cannot risk stifling innovation at this critical juncture,” she wrote.
The governor himself often espouses the importance that California cedes no ground as a leader in technological innovation and entrepreneurship.
And while state lawmakers delivered big wins for organized labor this year, the governor must make the final decision before his bill signing period ends on Oct. 14.
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