Vehicle emissions bill defeated

Car exhaust
Exhaust billows out of a car tailpipe.
Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images

A state Senate committee has defeated a bill to put Minnesota on course for adopting California-style car emissions standards.

A 10-7 vote by the Senate Business, Industry and Jobs Committee means it will be almost impossible for supporters of the strict emissions standard to enact a law for it this year.

There's an outside chance the House sponsors could use procedural motions to get around the Senate committee setback.

The bill would have required that new cars and light trucks sold in the state emit 30 percent fewer greenhouse gases by the year 2016.

More than a dozen states have adopted the standard, but so far, the federal government has blocked its implementation.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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