NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers are set to vote on loosening vehicle emissions testing requirements as soon as they return in January, undeterred by Volkswagen's recent admission that it had been gaming the tests already in place.
The bill is the latest in a series of efforts by Republican lawmakers to dial back the state's emissions testing program, which currently applies only in six of the state's 95 counties.
The legislation was introduced before Volkswagen was caught outfitting software to defeat emissions tests on diesel cars — including those made at the German automaker's plant in Chattanooga.
Those revelations haven't deterred Republican Sen. Mae Beavers from seeking a vote on the measure on the first day of the next legislative session. She says the testing represents "too much government."