California has come under legal fire from an anti-regulatory business lobbying group backed by former Attorney General Bill Barr. The American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce, along with the Associated Equipment Distributors, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California on Tuesday, challenging regulations aimed at eliminating gas-powered trucks in the state.
CEO Gentry Collins stated that these efforts by the state to ban liquid fuels and internal combustion engines pose a significant threat to American free enterprise and a functional marketplace that serves consumers. “The ability to move people and goods reliably and affordably is essential to our way of life,” Collins said.
The lawsuit alleges that California violated the Clean Air Act by enforcing a rule stricter than its federal counterpart without obtaining a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Although California had previously obtained a waiver for its car emissions rules, it was revoked during the Trump administration and reinstated by the Biden administration.
California’s rule last year aimed to progressively raise the percentage of electric trucks sold in the state over a ten-year period between 2024 and 2035. By 2035, it mandates that short-haul trucks be zero-emission and requires half of heavy-duty vehicle purchases by state and local governments to be zero-emission this year.
However, this rule has implications beyond California as other states can choose to adopt it. Over a dozen states have already embraced California standards for low-emission and zero-emission vehicles. Furthermore, California has set a timeline for phasing out medium- and heavy-duty internal combustion trucks by 2036. The rule has been approved by the Biden administration and will require fleet owners to ensure their trucks are zero-emission by 2042.
The Hill sought comment from California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office but has not received one yet.
In conclusion, this lawsuit highlights how businesses are fighting back against regulations they believe are harmful to their interests or their customers’ needs. It also shows how complex issues like climate change can have far-reaching consequences beyond just one state or country.
