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The Hill
15 minutes ago
- The Hill
Truck-makers sue California, in bid to abandon zero-emissions agreements
A group of truck manufacturers have filed a lawsuit against California regulators, contending that the Golden State lacks the authority to enforce its stricter-than-federal heavy-duty vehicle emissions standards. The complaint, submitted on Monday to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, maintained that truck-makers should not have to comply with the state's emissions rules, after the federal government rendered them 'unlawful' in June. Filed by Daimler Truck North America, International Motors, Paccar and Volvo Group North America, the lawsuit requested a declaratory judgement against Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and the California Air Resources Board. as well as injunctive relief. The complainants argued that recent federal government resolutions 'statutorily preempted California's emissions standards governing heavy-duty vehicles and engines.' 'Notwithstanding that new legislation, California continues to demand compliance with its heavy-duty emissions standards,' the case stated. The legislation, signed by President Trump in June, included three congressional resolutions that upended California's rules on gas-fueled vehicle phaseouts. One of the three resolutions targeted the Advanced Clean Trucks rule — a regulation aimed at accelerating the state's transition to less-polluting trucks that would have required 7.5 percent of these vehicles to be emissions-free by 2035. A second was the state's Omnibus Regulation, which aimed to slash heavy-duty nitrogen oxide emissions by 90 percent, update engine testing protocols and further extend engine warranties. In signing the resolutions, Trump revoked the Biden administration's previous authorization of California's emissions standards via the Congressional Review Act, which allows the repeal of recent such approvals with a simple majority. California had been able to acquire the Biden-era Environmental Protection Agency's authorization via a 1970 Clean Air Act clause that allows the state to set stronger-than-federal emissions rules. Immediately after Trump signed the resolutions in June, California officials filed a lawsuit against the administration with 10 other states, accusing the president of illegal interference. In Monday's complaint, the truck-makers — also called original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) — argued that California's continued demands for compliance has 'threatened' their ability to 'design, develop, manufacture and sell heavy-duty vehicles and engines.' The lawsuit noted that the U.S. Department of Justice has issued letters instructing the manufacturers 'to immediately cease and desist compliance with California's preempted and unlawful mandates,' noting that the state's insistence 'is contrary to federal law.' 'Plaintiffs are caught in the crossfire: California demands that OEMs follow preempted laws; the United States maintains such laws are illegal and orders OEMs to disregard them,' the complaint stated. 'This situation is not tenable.' Describing the regulatory requirements as 'inconsistent' and responsible for an 'unstable' manufacturing landscape, the truck-makers said that 'the misaligned federal and California emissions standards provided plaintiff OEMs with barely two years of lead time to comply with California's aggressive emissions standards.' The manufacturers characterized that period as 'a woefully inadequate compliance window,' referring to the Clean Air Act's four-year lead time requirement for new heavy-duty vehicle pollution standards. The lawsuit also slammed a July 2023 Clean Truck Partnership, in which the manufacturers voluntarily agreed to abide by California's emissions rules in exchange for certain concessions. In response to the lawsuit, environmental groups and policymakers issued a collective statement alleging that the complaint 'paints wealthy truck manufacturers as victims.' Craig Segall, former deputy executive officer and assistant chief counsel of CARB, questioned whether the companies 'have any idea how to sell their products.' Noting that the partnership would have promoted electric truck sales and financed related infrastructure in one of the world's biggest economies, Segall accused the companies of 'burning' regulators and 'destroying shareholder value by blowing up that agreement.' 'Red flags abound,' he added. Guillermo Ortiz, senior clean vehicles advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council, characterized the lawsuit as 'a cynical reversal of course' and accused the plaintiffs of acting in 'bad faith.' 'These companies helped negotiate the Clean Truck Partnership to secure regulatory certainty,' Ortiz said in a statement. 'Now they're trying to dismantle the very deal they shaped — injecting instability into a market they claim to lead.'
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why was this Arizona senator at the Iowa State Fair?
Over the weekend, Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., traveled to Iowa in what could be a prelude to a presidential run in 2028. The first-time Arizona senator didn't exactly deny the rumors about his ambitions for the White House. His event, described as 'upbeat' by The Associated Press, comes at a time when the Democratic Party doesn't have a clear leader or message. Gallego attempted to supply a solution to both those lingering questions while countering the Trump agenda. Specifically, he took aim at the 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' saying the cuts to Medicaid and social safety nets would make America 'sicker and poorer' at a town hall in eastern Iowa. Of course, he isn't the only one pushing against the current administration. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is leading Democratic lawmakers in his state to change the congressional boundaries in response to the new map in Texas, as the Deseret News reported. Newsom's actually fighting two battles right now. The other is over immigration after President Donald Trump ordered the National Guard to California despite Newsom's protests. But Gallego is more focused on the bigger picture right now and offers the party a way forward. 'There's no governing coalition until we start winning here,' the Arizona senator told The New York Times. 'And we know how to do it. I know how to get the message to do it. So I'm here to, most of all, encourage the Democratic Party, because they feel a little down right now here.' Is Gallego running in 2028? When a local news outlet asked whether he is considering running for president, Gallego confessed he had 'been prepped' to answer the question. 'Too early,' the Arizona senator said before laying out his more immediate priorities, like working to secure wins in the House and the Senate. His 7-week-old son, his third child, will also be a big focus of his life. Gallego declined to rule out a presidential bid, saying anything could 'happen in the next couple of years, right?' The Iowa State Fair typically attracts presidential candidates who loosen their ties and charm voters with their personality while eating deep fried foods on a stick. In Gallego's case, it was an egg on a stick. Although it's a staple at this state fair, the Arizona senator said it could use some salsa. He witnessed the butter cow, walked the fairgrounds, answered questions from reporters and flipped a few pork burgers while wearing a Marines hat, as the Des Moines Register notes. His travel plans don't end in Iowa. He will jet off to New Hampshire, traditionally the first state to hold the presidential primaries, on Aug. 22. According to WMUR, there, he will attend the Politics & Eggs breakfast, another must stop for presidential candidates, a town hall and a fundraiser. Earlier this year, he visited Pennsylvania, a key swing state. During his time in Congress, his decisions have been a sharp contrast to that of his Democratic colleagues. For instance, he is tougher on border security and leans on his working-class background to connect to voters. He often talks about holding several kinds of jobs, from cook to janitor, to support his family, as he did when speaking to workers at a pork processing plant. 'A lot of the people that aren't voting for Democrats or who voted for Trump, they just feel we're not there,' Gallego told the Times. That's why he is in red districts, trying to meet people where they are at. Other 2028 hopefuls drawing buzz Another potential candidate, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, made headlines over the weekend. In conversation with NBC's Kristen Welker on 'Meet the Press,' Pritzker said he is 'focused on running for reelection as governor.' But, he added, 'I can't rule anything out, but what I can rule in is that no matter what decisions I make, and I mean in particular about what I do here in the state of Illinois, is about the people of Illinois,' as The Hill reported. Republicans are also keeping an eye out for Trump's successor. The term-limited president jokes about running and serving another term, but, in May, he proposed national security adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance as his possible successors. Other Republicans drawing attention right now are 'Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rick Scott of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Govs. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia and Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas,' as per the Times.
The Hill
7 hours ago
- The Hill
5 things to know as California moves forward with redistricting
California Democrats are moving forward with plans to potentially redraw the state's congressional maps as a response to GOP-led redistricting efforts in Texas. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has said the Golden State is planning to put redistricting before voters during a special election this November, with the aim of adding several Democratic House seats to the blue stronghold. California's move is a direct response to redistricting efforts in Republican-led Texas, where Democratic state legislators have fled the state in a last-ditch bid to block a redraw backed by President Trump. Here's what to know as California moves forward: Why is Newsom calling for a special election? Newsom announced Friday that his state will move forward with plans to get a measure on the ballot that would, if approved by voters during a special election, let Democrats pass a new House map. California state lawmakers are out for summer recess, with plans to return on Aug. 18. They're expected to take up the matter as soon as they return, as they're up against a deadline to make a November special election official. 'We have 'til Aug. 22nd. With the leadership behind me, they will get this on the ballot,' the governor said. Newsom needs to call a special election to move forward because California, unlike Texas, has a bipartisan commission that is responsible for redistricting every decade. In order to circumvent the commission and redraw mid-cycle, he must put the redistricting question directly in front of voters to seek their approval before a new map can be put in place. The push to draw new congressional lines in the Golden State comes as Democrats across the country are looking to blunt potential gains in Texas ahead of the midterms. The Lone Star State is expected to pick up as many as five additional seats with their new lines, making it potentially easier for the GOP to hold onto its slim House majority next year despite electoral headwinds. Newsom has repeatedly said that he will only move forward with redistricting if Texas does so, but since the Lone Star State has signaled it has no intention of backing down, it seems likely the California governor will go forward with the special election. What will voters be asked to consider? The exact details of the ballot question remain unclear, raising questions about how the plan will move forward, even if voters approve it. Newsom's office has underscored the potential ballot measure would reaffirm California's commitment to independent redistricting, while also allowing voters to 'temporarily adjust' the congressional map for the next several cycles. But how the question will actually be formulated remains up in the air. The measure is also expected to include 'trigger' language, explaining how and who decides to move forward with redistricting in the Golden State if it happens in Texas or elsewhere. There's also the possibility, however unlikely, that the Texas GOP will not move forward with redistricting, thereby negating Newsom's push to redraw California's lines. However, most observers see this as an unlikely outcome. Another possibility is that California voters don't approve redistricting. The chances of that happening in the deep-blue state also appear remote, though some experts say the popularity of the independent commission, which Californians approved in 2008 and 2010, may stoke hesitance about the proposed changes. 'I think the voters understand what's at stake,' Newsom said when asked about this last potential outcome. When could new maps go into effect? California's goal would be to counteract the planned GOP gains in Texas during next year's midterms, and the ballot measure would aim to push the changes through before the midterm election in November 2026. If the maps go through, the mid-census redistricting will last 'for the '26, '28 and '30 ballots, just for congressional ballots alone,' Newsom said on Friday. Proponents of the plan have stressed that the proposal would maintain the framework of California's independent redistricting commission, though the bipartisan body's maps would be effectively paused in the meantime. California would then revert to the existing system after the next census at the end of the decade. The proposal appears to be a 'a one-time request to voters to subvert the commission, if other states were to engage in such a process,' Sara Sadhwani, a member of the commission that redrew California's lines in 2021 and a politics professor at Pomona College, told The Hill last week. What could the new maps look like? California's Democratic leaders have said they're planning to release new congressional map proposals sometime this week. The exact contours of the new maps are unclear, but Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), the chair of the California Democratic Congressional delegation, told local outlet KCRA 3 over the weekend that they're expected to target five House Republicans. That would be an exact counter to the five GOP seats that would be created by the Texas plan. Such a change would boost Democrats' advantage in the congressional delegation to a whopping 48 of 52 House seats, by cutting into the districts held by the state's current nine Republican lawmakers. Among the potential targets are Republican Reps. Ken Calvert, Darrell Issa, David Valadao, Doug LaMalfa and Kevin Kiley. What opposition does the push face? Newsom's move has drawn criticism from some notable figures — perhaps no one more so than former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), who has threatened to campaign against the plan, according to Politico. 2024 Election Coverage 'He calls gerrymandering evil, and he means that. He thinks it's truly evil for politicians to take power from people,' spokesperson Daniel Ketchell told the news outlet. 'He's opposed to what Texas is doing, and he's opposed to the idea that California would race to the bottom to do the same thing.' Kiley, another California Republican who could be vulnerable under the new maps, has also emerged as a vocal critic of the plan. The lawmaker has proposed federal legislation that would prohibit mid-decade redistricting nationwide. Furthermore, the unprecedented plan is entering 'legal murkiness,' said Justin Levitt, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University who founded the database All About Redistricting — while also being pressed for time, given the November goal and scheduling rules for special elections.
