BOISE, ID – Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador joined a 19-state coalition asking the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional the efforts of California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Rhode Island to dictate the future of American energy policy. The coalition says that five states have brought unprecedented litigation against the nation’s most vital energy companies for an alleged “climate crisis” and are demanding billions of dollars in damages. As litigation proceeds in their individual state courts, California and the others “threaten to impose ruinous penalties and coercive remedies that would affect energy and fuel consumption and production across the country,” a press release from Labrador’s office.
“It’s not a new tactic to sue an industry to force a social agenda, but the stakes have never been higher,” Labrador says. “We cannot let national energy policy be driven by a handful of activist states pushing their climate change agenda. This will just increase prices for everyone at the pump while crippling our national economy.”
From Labrador’s Office:
The Supreme Court will decide whether to hear the Alabama-led 19-state lawsuit against California and the other four proposed defendants. The coalition’s filing includes a motion, complaint, and brief, which argue that traditional energy sources like oil, natural gas, and coal are essential for American prosperity. The states also argue that the matter is of utmost importance because our system of federalism gives each state no more power than any other state.
In April, Alabama also led a 20-state amicus brief in the Supreme Court asking the Court to review a lawsuit filed by the City and County of Honolulu, which also seeks to impose billions of dollars in penalties on the energy industry. Honolulu claims that the companies deceived consumers about the emissions created by everyday products like gasoline. The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the energy companies’ request to hear the case.
The Alabama-led motion was also joined by attorneys general from Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
