Community News

Assemblyman Ta Calls for End to Sacramento’s Ban on Affordable Tires

 

by: Emanuel Patrascu
Published: August 31, 2026

 

ORANGE COUNTY...Assemblyman Tri Ta today introduced House Resolution 141, challenging California’s new replacement-tire rules and calling on the state to scrap Sacramento’s Ban on Affordable Tires.

The California Energy Commission adopted the Replacement Tire Efficiency Program on August 17. The rules will ban the sale of most affordable tires now available in the state. The Commission estimates the added cost at $26 per set. Industry data put the increase as high as $365 per set.

California families are already being crushed by the cost of living, and now Sacramento is coming for their tires. The state does not need to tweak this regulation or make another costly mandate slightly less painful. The Ban on Affordable Tires should be scrapped.

The resolution also disputes the Commission’s savings claims. Using the Commission’s own dataset, the program could cost consumers an extra $186.20 rather than deliver the $179 in lifetime fuel savings the Commission projects.

The rules carry further risks: the environmental cost of making, shipping, and discarding more tires; shorter tread life on high-efficiency tires, which means more frequent replacements; and safety problems if drivers put off replacing worn tires they can no longer afford.

“Sacramento keeps talking about affordability while making the necessities of everyday life more expensive. Californians should be able to choose safe, reliable tires that fit their family budget. The state should get out of the way and end this mandate,” Ta said.

The resolution calls on the Energy Commission to reopen the Replacement Tire Efficiency Program and fully review its effects on affordability, tire safety, wet-weather performance, and the full environmental life cycle of replacement tires.

Ta said his goal is clear: end the new tire regulations before Sacramento’s Ban on Affordable Tires hits California drivers.