In a vote on Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States rejected a lawsuit brought on by attorneys general in 19 states against other states that were suing fossil fuel companies for their contribution to climate change. The Republican effort fell short in stopping Democratic-led states from using their own state courts to sue the fossil fuel industry.
Under the Constitution, the Supreme Court, which usually only hears appeals, has the authority to hear this case because the states filed the lawsuit against each other.
The lawsuit, brought on by Republican attorneys general, was said to be a direct aim to stop lawsuits filed by California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey and Rhode Island against the fossil fuel industry for “deceiving the public about the risks of their products contributing to climate change,” AP reported. It claimed that these Democratic states will increase the cost of energy nationwide by trying to control national energy policy.
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said “they don’t have the discretion to reject the complaint at this stage, Thomas wrote in a dissent that did not deal with the merits of the claim,” AP reported.
According to AP, states can’t apply their own laws past their borders—the federal government is the only entity who can regulate interstate gas emissions to a global atmosphere.
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