After dismantling most federal action on the global climate, the Trump administration now aims to attack state and local policies that fight climate change as well.
An executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to look for state and local laws that address climate change or environmental justice and to 鈥渢ake all appropriate action鈥� to stop enforcement of any that are illegal.
鈥淢y Administration is committed to unleashing American energy, especially through the removal of all illegitimate impediments to the identification, development, siting, production, investment in, or use of domestic energy resources,鈥� .
While some Republicans and industry groups welcomed the order, Democratic leaders including Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson say they will defend their states鈥� climate actions.
Trump鈥檚 order singles out policies such as the cap-and-trade systems for limiting carbon emissions that states including Washington and California have adopted.
Through a spokesperson, Gov. Ferguson declined to be interviewed but issued a brief statement.
鈥淚 am confident we will be able to preserve this and other important laws protecting our climate and investments in clean energy from this latest attack by the Trump administration,鈥� he said in an emailed statement.
鈥淐alifornia鈥檚 efforts to cut harmful pollution won鈥檛 be derailed by a glorified press release masquerading as an executive order,鈥� California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said in a press release.
鈥淭he science is clear. Climate change is real and our state programs are critical to protecting our environment for generations to come,鈥� Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) said in a statement provided to . 鈥淚 will continue to fight for the longstanding values of Oregonians.鈥�
At least one Republican lawmaker in Washington state praised the president鈥檚 move.
鈥淧resident Trump鈥檚 executive action is a critical step toward reining in extreme, unconstitutional and costly climate policies like Washington鈥檚 cap-and-trade scheme,鈥� Republican state Sen. Phil Fortunato, of Auburn, said in a press release.
In an interview, Fortunato said he hoped the executive order would draw attention to the cost of Washington state鈥檚 鈥渟tupid鈥� environmental policies. He also denied the scientific fact that carbon dioxide emissions have raised the planet鈥檚 temperature with disastrous consequences.
鈥淒o you believe CO2 is the villain?鈥� Fortunato asked. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think so.鈥�
Seattle attorney Jan Hasselman with the nonprofit Earthjustice said executive orders are 鈥渘othing more than a tweet in long form.鈥�
鈥淭his president doesn鈥檛 have a plan. He doesn鈥檛 have a strategy. He鈥檚 just blustering,鈥� Hasselman said. 鈥淲e here in Washington are proud of our climate laws, and we鈥檙e going to fight to protect them if we have to.鈥�
鈥淲e really welcome what the president did,鈥� said Greg Lane with the Building Industry Association of Washington.
The construction-industry trade group has been trying to stop Washington state from restricting the use of natural gas in new buildings.Voters approved a 2024 ballot initiative the association sponsored to block regulation of natural gas. Lane said the association will appeal a King County Superior Court ruling in March that the initiative violates the state constitution.
鈥淲e knew it was in the works, so we weren鈥檛 surprised to see it,鈥� Lane said of Trump鈥檚 order.
鈥淲e have a National Association of Home Builders as well, and they鈥檝e been working with the administration and other partners on this,鈥� Lane said.
He said the White House also had conversations on the upcoming executive order with industry groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Gas Association, of which Bellevue-based Puget Sound Energy is a member.
The gas association did not respond to a request for comment.Under the U.S. Constitution, the federal government cannot simply block or undo state or local laws.
鈥淭his is core to the Constitution, that states and local governments have certain inherent powers that the federal government cannot just grab because it wants to,鈥� attorney Amy Turner with Columbia University鈥檚 Sabin Center for Climate Change Law said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just the federal government saying, 鈥榃e don鈥檛 like a law that the state has passed,鈥樷�� Lane said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to have to come up with a legal justification for challenging it.鈥�
While some critics dismissed the executive order as bluster or political theater, Turner said people should take it seriously.
鈥淚 think this is a dangerous warning of what鈥檚 to come,鈥� Turner said.
She said it could be a first step toward lawsuits or other federal attempts to overturn states鈥� climate policies.
鈥淲ith this administration, we can鈥檛 expect that they鈥檙e going to act lawfully,鈥� Turner said. 鈥淭he administration is very willing to pull back federal funding or cancel grant awards based on its view of whether a particular entity is advancing the priorities the administration likes.鈥�
The executive order gives Bondi 60 days to assemble a list of supposedly illegal state and local laws that 鈥減urport to address 鈥榗limate change鈥� or involving 鈥榚nvironmental, social, and governance鈥� initiatives, 鈥榚nvironmental justice,鈥� carbon or 鈥榞reenhouse gas鈥� emissions and funds to collect carbon penalties or carbon taxes鈥� and recommend measures to block them.
This story comes from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.