Calif. Governor Vetoes Autonomous Truck Ban Bill

Legislation to ban large autonomous trucks in California has been vetoed by the state’s governor. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Sept. 22 that he would not be signing Assembly Bill 316, which would have banned both the testing and operation of self-driving heavy-duty vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds. 

The measure had previously cleared both chambers of the state legislature, most recently the Senate on Sept. 11. A two-thirds vote in each house would be required to override the veto. 

In a letter to the state assembly, Newsom wrote that AB316 was unnecessary “as existing law provides sufficient authority to create the appropriate regulatory framework.” 

He also noted that rulemaking is underway for both light- and heavy-duty autonomous vehicles, and he expects those to be released for comment within the “coming months.”