Latest news with #PlaintiffStates
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
States Sue the Government Over Withdrawn EV Charging Station Funds
A group of 17 states led by California, Colorado and Washington are suing the government over billions of dollars in funds for EV charging stations. A lawsuit filed in a Seattle district court cites a 2021 bipartisan $5 billion infrastructure program that was meant to build out charging stations across the US. As recently as early February, that money was expected to continue to roll out to states to add stations. Since then, however, some funds for the program were paused and experts have said that shutting down government-funded EV stations could have its own costs that run to $1 billion. The suit says the Federal Highway Administration, under orders from the presidential administration, is holding back billions that were allocated by Congress. "In total, as of February 6, 2025, the FHWA made $3.27 billion available for obligation for fiscal years 2022 through 2025, including approximately $1.1 billion made available for obligation to Plaintiff States," it says. "In total, the FHWA is withholding approximately $2.74 billion of the $3.27 million in NEVI Formula Program funds available to the States for obligation for fiscal years 2022 through 2025. Collectively, Plaintiff States have been immediately and indefinitely deprived of access to approximately $1 billion in available NEVI Formula Program funds for those four fiscal years." Representatives for the White House and the FHWA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The move to electric vehicles has been steady as more manufacturers have released improved models with better range and features over the years. More than 300,000 EVs were sold in the US from January to March. Charging stations, which allow EV drivers more mobility over long distances, are a key part of the transition. And the switch to EVs has been cited as a major driver of combating climate change globally. Since becoming president in January, Trump has attempted to halt progress on many Biden-era climate-forward initiatives. As with the EV chargers lawsuit, states and cities are stepping in to take action on climate due to a lack of national leadership on the issue.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine, other states file lawsuit after mass education department layoffs
Mar. 13—Maine is among more than a dozen states that have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and the U.S. Department of Education over the mass layoff of federal education employees, including all of the staff at a regional office in Boston. DOE officials announced plans Tuesday to cut almost 2,000 employees — more than half of the agency's entire workforce. The decision follows months of promises from Trump to dismantle the department, which oversees funding to K-12 and higher education. "Today's reduction in force reflects the Department of Education's commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers," McMahon said in a news release. She said the department will "continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency's purview." The layoffs included at least 25 employees at a regional office in Boston, and eight other employees from around New England, according to AFGE 252, the union that represents Department of Education employees. Other regional offices in San Francisco, Cleveland, New York, Chicago, Dallas and Philadelphia have also been eliminated. According to the union, two of those laid off at the Boston office are from Maine; they could not be reached Thursday to discuss the decision. Twenty states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Thursday morning in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts seeking to reverse the order. View this document on Scribd "This massive (reduction in workforce) is not supported by any actual reasoning or specific determinations about how to eliminate purported waste in the Department — rather, (it) is part and parcel of President Trump's and Secretary McMahon's opposition to the Department of Education's entire existence," the complaint reads. The states argue that Trump does not have the authority to "incapacitate" a congressionally created agency, and write that his actions with the department violate legislative authority and his obligations to faithfully execute the law. They outline what they see as vast impacts of the workforce reductions, including to K-12 education, federal student aid, vocational rehabilitation for disabled students and the timely distribution of funds. "Regardless of what alternative resources are put in the place of the Department of Education, the process of the Department's dismantling will create and has created chaos, disruption, uncertainty, delays and confusion for Plaintiff States and their residents," the complaint said. Maine received more than $250 million through the U.S. Department of Education this year for K-12 education, funding that supports some of the state's most vulnerable students, like multilingual learners and those with disabilities. Maine's public university system also receives money through the agency for Pell Grants for low-income college students, student loans, work study, grants and research, to the tune of more than $220 million annually. The departmental layoffs haven't yet impacted that money, according to the lawsuit, but the plaintiffs argue that cutting half of the workforce will make it impossible for the agency to fulfil its statutory functions like delivering funding and investigating civil rights complaints. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said he joined the suit because the department is responsible for important programs for Maine students. "The gutting of the DOE effectively dismantles that Department without congressional approval," he said. "Congress has committed these important services to Maine families and I join this litigation to ensure citizens will continue to benefit from these programs." Other Trump administration cuts, like those to funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, have been blocked by judges in recent weeks. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dem AGs sue over Trump administration's Education Department layoffs
Democratic attorneys general in Washington, D.C., and 20 states sued Thursday over the Trump administration's efforts to lay off nearly half of the Education Department workforce. Earlier this week, more than 1,300 staffers received notification they are being let go, which comes on the heels of hundreds at the department already being placed on leave or taking a buyout. The department had more than 4,000 employees at the start of President Trump's second term. 'This massive reduction in force (RIF) is equivalent to incapacitating key, statutorily-mandated functions of the Department, causing immense damage to Plaintiff States and their educational systems,' the lawsuit states, an assertion department officials have rejected. The attorneys general emphasized that Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon have 'plainly and repeatedly stated' a desire to eliminate the Education Department, insisting the recent layoffs are part of a broader, illegal plan. Trump has held firm that he believes states should run education, not the federal government. 'This massive RIF is not supported by any actual reasoning or specific determinations about how to eliminate purported waste in the Department—rather, the RIF is part and parcel of President Trump's and Secretary McMahon's opposition to the Department of Education's entire existence,' the lawsuit states. Filed in federal court in Massachusetts, the suit claims the plan usurps Congress's authority and violates the Administrative Procedure Act because it is contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious. 'President Trump was elected with a mandate from the American public to return education authority to the states. The Department of Education's reduction in force (RIF) was implemented carefully and in compliance with all applicable regulations and laws. They are strategic, internal-facing cuts that will not directly impact students and families,' Madi Biedermann, the department's deputy assistant secretary for communications, said in a statement. Though the lawsuit is the first to specifically challenge the Education Department's recent reductions, it adds to a growing number of legal challenges to the Trump administration's efforts to rapidly shape the federal bureaucracy. Multiple cases are proceeding challenging the administration's efforts to mass terminate federal employees still in their probationary period, including one that is set for an evidentiary hearing in San Francisco later Thursday. The Education Department also faces existing lawsuits over its warning to schools they could lose federal funding if they persist with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. And last week, a group of eight Democratic state attorneys general sued over the department freezing some of its grant payments. — Updated at 12:21 p.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
21 state attorneys general sue to block Department of Education's dismantling
A group of 21 Democratic attorneys general are suing the Trump administration to block the dismantling of the Department of Education, alleging the firing of 50% of its employees "incapacitates" the department's ability to compete its legally-required functions. The lawsuit – filed in Massachusetts federal court – asks a judge to immediately pause the Trump administration's mass firings and declare that the dismantling of the Department of Education is unlawful. "This massive reduction in force is equivalent to incapacitating key, statutorily mandated functions of the Department, causing immense damage to Plaintiff States and their educational systems," the lawsuit said. "Far from being just a 'first step,' the layoffs are an effective dismantling of the Department." MORE: Education Department cuts agency that compiles 'Nation's Report Card' and measures student performance The attorneys general allege that the twenty states and District of Columbia who brought the case would suffer irreparable harm from the dismantling of the Department, arguing the federal government is " deeply intertwined" with their education systems through funding for low-income children, support for students with disabilities, federal student aid, and laws that prevent discrimination in education. According to the lawsuit, the reduction in force would prevent the department from completing its legally mandated functions, and that neither President Donald Trump nor Education Secretary Linda McMahon have the authority to break down a department created by Congress. "This massive RIF is not supported by any actual reasoning or specific determinations about how to eliminate purported waste in the Department—rather, the RIF is part and parcel of President Trump's and Secretary McMahon's opposition to the Department of Education's entire existence," the lawsuit said. The DOE began sending "reduction in force" notifications on Tuesday night, impacting about 1,315 employees so far. The agency said it will "continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency's purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, funding for special needs students, and competitive grantmaking." This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 21 state attorneys general sue to block Department of Education's dismantling originally appeared on
Boston Globe
13-03-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Massachusetts joins nearly two dozen states suing Trump for dismantling US Education Department
Advertisement But the job cuts rolled out Tuesday night — laying off about 2,000 of the agency's roughly 4,100 employees — has 'devastated important segments of the Department of Education, rendering the agency unable to perform its core functions,' the lawsuit said. 'Regardless of what alternative resources are put in the place of the Department of Education, the process of the Department's dismantling will create and has created chaos, disruption, uncertainty, delays and confusion for Plaintiff States and their residents,' the lawsuit said. The Globe reported The nation's Education Department's programs serve about 18,200 school districts and more than 50 million students in 98,000 public schools, 32,000 private schools, plus more than 12 million postsecondary students, according to the complaint. The lawsuit argued the Education Department plays a critical role in safeguarding equal access to public education through transparency and accountability. Its Office for Civil Rights was created by Congress and 'has historically focused on ensuring that schools provide equal access to education across diverse student bodies,' according to the complaint. It also administers higher education programs and the federal student loan system, which provides 'critical assistance to prospective students and expand access to higher education to students who could not otherwise afford to pursue a degree or certificate,' the complaint said. Related : Advertisement The agency also administers critical financial aid to school districts, including Title I for districts with many low-income students, and IDEA money to help provide services for students with disabilities. Thursday's lawsuit was filed by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, along with fellow attorney generals in New York, Hawaii, California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. 'By attempting to dismantle the Department of Education which, among many things, funds educational programs that benefit low-income children and students with disabilities and enforces laws that prohibit discrimination in education, the Trump Administration is making it crystal clear that it does not prioritize our students, teachers or families,' Campbell said. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, in a statement, said: 'The Trump Administration's unlawful attack on the Department of Education is an attack on children from all walks of life across this country.' In the filing, the states attorneys general argued Trump and his 'President Trump has publicly described his intention to dismantle the Department of Education. That goal has been plainly and repeatedly stated: President Trump called the Department of Education 'a big con job' and declared that he would 'like to close it immediately,' the lawsuit said. Meanwhile, McMahon has indicated that she plans to 'heed this call' and break down the Department of Education from within, the lawsuit said. 'She affirmed that 'President Trump believes that the bureaucracy in Washington should be abolished so that we can return education to the states, where it belongs,' and that she 'wholeheartedly support[s] and agree[s] with this mission,' ' the lawsuit said. Advertisement The cuts have significantly affected several divisions of the Education Department, including the majority of the department's Office for Civil Rights, the complaint said, and imperil the agency's ability to investigate cases of discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or age. 'The cuts to the Office for Civil Rights will have deep impacts on the Department of Education's ability to carry out its vital work. Given that the RIF [reduction in force] heavily impacted investigative staff, on information and belief the cuts will force remaining investigators to nearly double their caseloads, severely limiting meaningful investigation of discrimination in schools,' the lawsuit said. Other job cuts include all of the attorneys in the agency's Office of General Counsel who specialize in K–12 grants, IDEA [Individuals with Disabilities Education Act] grants, and equity grants have been terminated, the lawsuit said. The layoffs have 'also effectively eliminated' the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education's State and Grantee Relations Team, which partners with stakeholders and connects them to the resources and relationships they need to support and educate students nationally, the lawsuit said. Globe staff writer Omar Mohammed contributed to this report. Past Globe coverage was also used. This is a breaking story. Check back for updates. John Hilliard can be reached at
