TECH - Autonomous Trucking May Descend the Rabbit Hole of Local Politics | Benzinga
After vetoing legislation last year that would have required a human driver in autonomous vehicles over 10,000 pounds, California Gov. Gavin Newsom may again have to choose between two of his main constituencies: Big Tech and organized labor.
2 bills equal double trouble for autonomous trucking
Two bills starting their journeys through the State Assembly and State Senate take undifferentiated aim at autonomous vehicles — robotaxis and autonomously driven commercial trucks.
Assembly Bill 2286 is practically a copy of AB316 passed by both legislative chambers in 2023 before being struck down by Newsom. Senate Bill 915 gives local municipalities more authority over autonomous regulations. Oversight for autonomous vehicles currently rests with the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the state Public Utilities Commission.
Both bills have vocal backing from the Teamsters union, which makes safety and job preservation its clarion calls.
Teamsters protests of autonomous vehicles without human drivers on board are frequent in California. (Photo: Teamsters)
"Gov. Newsom can continue to cower to Big Tech and put millions of good jobs in jeopardy, or he can grow a backbone and stand up for working people" Lindsay Dougherty, Teamsters Western Region International vice president and secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 399, said in January.
"Either way, the Teamsters are not backing down from this fight."
Teamsters protests of autonomous vehicles without human drivers on board are frequent in California. (Photo: Teamsters)
Latest autonomous vehicle battleground
These are the latest battles for the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (AVIA), which balances state and federal lobbying support with education about driverless vehicles. The feds focus on vehicle design, construction and performance. States regulate authorizing autonomous vehicles on their roads, as well as insurance, law enforcement and some other regulations.
"Industry can expect to be playing whack-a-mole on autonomous vehicle bans, at least until the federal government introduces a federal framework that creates guidelines around autonomous operations" Dan Goff, Mountain View, California-based Kodiak Robotics director of external affairs, told me.