Salt Lake City, UT — Attorney General Sean D. Reyes joined a 21-state coalition to block President Biden’s latest attempt to over-regulate Utah drivers. The coalition filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky seeking to stop the Biden Administration’s stringent climate mandate, which would force states with federal interstates and highways to rapidly reduce CO2 emissions or face potential penalties.
The Federal Highway Administration climate rule requires states to track and report transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. States are then required to establish targets for reducing CO2 emissions generated by vehicles and report to the federal agency by February 1.
Kentucky’s coalition asserts that the emissions rule is yet another unlawful attempt by the Biden Administration to achieve radical climate goals. Not only does the Federal Highway Administration lack any authority to regulate the environment, but the mandate also infringes on state sovereignty and violates the principles of federalism.
If the rule takes effect, Utah and other states would be forced to devote significant resources to complying with the February 1 deadline. Estimates show that setting initial emissions targets requires hundreds of hours of manpower, costing each state over $600,000.
AG Reyes joined the Kentucky-led preliminary injunction motion alongside: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
