In summary
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has sued the Trump Administration, joining four other states in trying to force the U.S. Department of Transportation to encourage fuel-efficient cars.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has sued the Trump administration, joining four other states in trying to force the U.S. Department of Transportation to encourage fuel-efficient cars.
His target is a regulation that was set to take effect in July and would have increased penalties on automakers whose vehicle fleets do not meet minimum fuel-efficiency standards.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indefinitely delayed implementing the rule, reverting to the lower penalty rate instead.
“President Trump claims to support law and order, yet his administration routinely ignores laws when it doesn’t like them,” Becerra said in a statement. “We’re still a nation of laws. No one, not even the President, is above the law.”
The suit was filed Friday.
California has tangled with the administration over many environmental policies.
In March, the federal government announced it was shelving Obama-era fuel-economy standards, rules California was counting on to assist the state’s transition to electric and hybrid automobiles.
“If Washington continues down this road,” Gov. Brown wrote to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, “California will take the necessary actions to preserve current standards and protect the health of our people and the stability of our climate.”
The state has previously :
–Sued the federal Energy Department for stalling on energy-efficiency standards.
–Threatened legal action against the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to enforce a law aimed at reducing methane gas emissions.
–Joined 14 other states in a suit against the EPA for delaying implementation of regulations that reduce ozone pollution.
–Filed suit, along with New Mexico, against the Department of Interior for delaying imposition of a rule that cut loopholes allowing some energy companies to avoid paying certain royalties.