Attorney General Charity Clark has secured a court order to prevent the Trump administration from dismantling three federal agencies that support public libraries, museums, minority-owned businesses, and workers. The United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island issued a preliminary injunction halting the implementation of an Executive Order aimed at dismantling the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS).
Attorney General Clark joined forces with 20 other attorneys general in April to challenge this Executive Order. They argued that dismantling these agencies would severely impact communities across Vermont and the nation by removing essential services such as library funding, business promotion for minorities, and worker protection.
The court's decision found that there was a strong likelihood of success on claims that the Executive Order violates the Administrative Procedure Act and disregards constitutional mandates by attempting to eliminate agencies established by Congress.
The coalition supporting Attorney General Clark includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.