A last-minute lobbying campaign by major automakers has succeeded in stalling a California state law that would regulate the greenhouse-gas emissions of cars and trucks sold in the nation's largest state, according to a Detroit News story by Jeff Plungis. The bill, which had earlier passed both the Assembly and the Senate but in slightly different forms, won't reach Gov. Gray Davis's desk anytime soon, according to the News. A multimillion-dollar advertising blitz and lobbying effort swayed enough lawmakers in the state Assembly that the bill's sponsor has decided to delay a final vote on the Senate's version. Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, a Democrat from the Santa Monica area, still hopes to shore up support from wavering lawmakers and may not bring the bill back up until near the end of the session in August. Automakers feared the California law would encourage other states to pursue more aggressive regulations in the absence of tougher federal fuel economy requirements. Disappointed environmentalists said they needed more time to respond to the auto industry's lobbying blitz before mounting a new effort to push a law through the Legislature.
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