Golden State senators will no longer be allowed to use SUVs to tool around their districts, if the president pro tem of the California senate gets his way. Most lawmakers in California lease their vehicles at the state’s expense; now, Sen. John Burton (D) wants to ban the lease of SUVs to protect the environment and save the state money on fuel. The rule would apply only to senators, and only to those about to acquire a vehicle, not to those who are already driving SUVs. Since December, when the new legislature took office, more than half of the 95 state lawmakers who requested vehicles chose SUVs. Unsurprisingly, given those numbers, not all lawmakers approve of Burton’s plan: Sen. Dick Ackerman (R), who drives a Ford Explorer paid for by the state, said, “You are not going to balance the state budget on having everyone not buy SUVs and save a few dollars on gasoline.”
