California, 10 other states sue to block Trump from killing 2035 EV rules

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

June 12, 2025 6:02 PM EDT Updated 2 hours ago


WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - A group of 11 states led by California on Thursday filed suit challenging a repeal by Congress of the state's 2035 electric vehicle rules and heavy duty truck requirements. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed three resolutions approved by lawmakers barring California's electric vehicle sales mandates and diesel engine rules, including its landmark plan to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035. "We officially rescue the U.S. auto industry from destruction by terminating the California electric vehicle mandate once and for all," Trump said on Thursday.

"Trump's all-out assault on California continues," California Governor Gavin Newsom responded. "And this time he's destroying our clean air and America's global competitiveness in the process." The states asked a judge to declare that Trump's repeal of waivers issued by the Environmental Protection Agency under President Joe Biden have no effect on state emissions rules.

"The Federal Government carried out an illegal playbook designed to evade lawful procedures that might prevent the 'take down' of disfavored California laws," said the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in northern California. The plaintiffs include New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Massachusetts and Washington state. The defendants are Trump, the EPA and its Administrator Lee Zeldin.

In March, the Government Accountability Office said the waivers cannot be repealed under the Congressional Review Act. Senate Republicans rejected the advice of the Senate parliamentarian in moving forward under the act. Biden's waiver allowed California to mandate that at least 80% of new vehicles sold in the state be electric by 2035, with the remainder being plug-in hybrids.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/california-10-other-states-sue-block-trump-killing-2035-ev-rules-2025-06-12/

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Links to PRESS RELEASES

CARB Chair Liane Randolph responds to President Trump’s approval of illegal resolutions to revoke California’s Clean Air Act waivers

California sues Trump for blocking its clean-air rules for cars, trucks — and vows to set new mandates

Link to COMPLAINT (PDF) - https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/Filed%20Waiver%20Resolution%20Complaint.pdf

[Igel]

1. Why were there waivers?

Were they necessary for California to exert authority where the federal government had claimed it?

Or were they words of encouragement and otherwise utterly meaningless?

[BumRushDaShow]

2. That was included in the original "Clear Air Act"

and notably for California due to their topography and prevalence of smog, where they were in a unique environment requiring unique/more stringent solutions to deal with it.

The GOP-majority in the Senate went "nuclear" by illegally bypassing the law and attempting to use a different mechanism that is supposed to be directed explicitly at repealing REGULATIONS, and NOT actual provisions codified in law, to just cavalierly throw out the Waiver for CA.