Lawsuit Challenges California’s Ban on Gas-Powered Trucks: A Business Lobbyist Fight for Affordability and Reliability

A business lobbying group backed by former Attorney General Bill Barr has filed a lawsuit against California over regulations aimed at phasing out gas-powered trucks in the state. The American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce brought the lawsuit to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California on Tuesday.

The CEO of the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce, Gentry Collins, criticized California’s efforts to ban liquid fuels and internal combustion engines, calling it a threat to the American way of life and poor climate policy. He argued that the ability to transport people and products reliably and affordably is crucial to a functioning market that serves American consumers.

The lawsuit argues that California violated the Clean Air Act by implementing a rule more strict than federal regulations without obtaining a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The suit also challenges a regulation announced last year that would gradually increase the required percentage of electric trucks sold in the state over a ten-year period from 2024 to 2035. This regulation mandates that short-haul trucks must be zero-emission by 2035 and that half of heavy-duty vehicle purchases by state and local governments must be zero-emission starting this year.

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