Republican lawmakers in at least two states are introducing legislation to shield oil and gas companies from lawsuits that seek compensation for the costs of climate change.
Oklahoma lawmakers have filed the Energy Security and Independence Act to “prevent the use of lawsuits that seek the imposition of unreasonable burdens on the commerce of fossil fuels.” The bill would “prohibit causes of action” against fossil fuel producers when the “highly regulated product functions as designed and intended.”
In Utah, a state representative has introduced legislation that says persons will be not liable for climate change, unless a court finds they violated a law.
The proposals at the state level come as the Trump administration and Republican attorneys general across the country step up efforts to kill more than two dozen lawsuits filed by local governments seeking compensation for global warming.
