Attorney General Ken Paxton has halted a Biden Administration rule that sought to impose greenhouse gas reporting measures on Texas. This development follows the Trump Administration's decision to dismiss an appeal of a lower court ruling in favor of Texas.
In December 2023, Paxton initiated legal action against the U.S. Department of Transportation and officials from the Biden Administration. The lawsuit aimed to prevent the enforcement of a federal rule requiring Texas to set a declining carbon dioxide target for transportation as part of performance measures for the Interstate and National Highway System. This rule was aligned with the Biden Administration's objective to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
By March 2024, Paxton had successfully argued for the nationwide vacatur of this rule, which was later appealed by previous DOT leadership. However, under President Trump's administration, this appeal has been dismissed, allowing the ban on emission reporting requirements to remain effective.
"This is a major win for Texas and America," said Attorney General Paxton. "Working in partnership with President Trump, all of the Biden Administration’s unlawful regulations and blatant examples of federal overreach will be completely reversed. The greenhouse gas emissions reporting regulation violated federal law and imposed arbitrary burdens on the States. The nationwide vacatur I obtained undoing Biden’s unlawful rule will remain in place."
For further details on the dismissal, more information can be accessed online.