I'm in the car hobby and considering how many people just think stuff like noise regulation and air quality measures is just nonsense solely on the basis of "I do what I want, bitch", I'm not hopeful.
Ever live somewhere without emissions testing? Welding straight pipes in place of cats becomes a point of pride.
Probably also helps that the materials in catalytic converters can be pretty valuable on the scrap market.
It's fantastic! I can get ethanol free gas too!
That doesn't seem to be the norm here and we're pretty lax on emissions testing requirements. It was a bigger issue in California when I was in the car scene there than anywhere else i've lived. And their emissions are stricter than most places (if not all) in the US.