Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is among 20 GOP Attorneys General to join a fight against Honolulu in its lawsuit blaming the “global climate crisis” on the oil and gas industry.
Drummond and the others, led by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, contend the case in Hawaii could have “grave” consequences for American energy production. The Attorneys General asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the city of Honolulu’s lawsuit that accused the companies of deceiving the public about their role in causing global warming, which could in turn cost the companies billions in damages reported Fox News.
Honolulu wants to impose billions of dollars in penalties on the energy industry, blaming it for causing the climate crisis.
“If Hawaiians want to rely on solar power, I have no problem with that,” Alabama Attorney General Marshall said. “But Honolulu cannot force its views onto Alabama—or any other State. Major decisions about our national energy policy must be made at the federal level, not dictated by one lawsuit brought by one city in its own courts.”
He added, “It is especially hypocritical for Honolulu, which has reaped tremendous benefits from fossil fuels for travel and the tourism industry, to try to impose costs on the rest of the Nation, which also depends on energy to meet day-to-day needs.”
Alabama led a similar coalition last fall against a similar lawsuit filed by Minnesota. The new brief argues that cases involving interstate emissions must be brought under federal law, not state law. Otherwise, one State’s actions could violate the sovereignty of every other State to set its own energy and environmental goals.
The brief further argues that Hawaii’s lawsuit creates an interstate controversy, which must be resolved by the federal courts. The Supreme Court must intervene before a state judge in Hawaii has the chance to impose what would be a massive tax on the energy system.
Attorney General Marshall led the 20-state brief with support from: Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.