“Has the government ever before said that it will force people owning old cars to get rid of those cars?”
Yep. If your car does not pass smog and it is not repairable, it goes.
THey did it with trucks in CA. Any commercial vehicle in CA must have a 2010 or new engine or be retro fitted with a $18000 pollution device by 1 Jan 2015 or it goes. I think by some future date there are to be no old trucks on the road. I think eventually they will extend this to cars.
How do classic cars survive....exceptions to law?