In September 2026, California drew a careful line between its identity as an environmental leader and its deep-rooted car culture, signing legislation that allows classic vehicles to travel public roads for short trips despite their high emissions. Informally called 'Jay Leno's Law' after the celebrated car collector and television personality, the measure acknowledges that some objects carry cultural and historical weight that pure regulation cannot fully account for. It is a rare moment of institutional humility — a recognition that the past, even when it pollutes, sometimes deserves a place