This story is excerpted from the MT Lowdown, a weekly newsletter digest containing original reporting and analysis published every Friday.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, alongside attorneys general from 18 other Republican states, is rallying behind former President Donald Trump’s energy policies. This coalition is challenging President Joe Biden’s environmental agenda, aiming to support Trump’s executive orders designed to boost America’s energy sector. Knudsen seeks to have Montana enter a legal battle over three executive orders that Trump issued to “unleash America’s affordable and reliable energy and natural resources.”
In contrast, 22 young plaintiffs, including 10 from the landmark Held v. Montana case, have filed a lawsuit to repeal these orders. The lead plaintiff, 19-year-old Eva Lighthiser from Livingston, argues her health and lifestyle have been impacted by climate change, citing events like the 2022 Yellowstone River flooding and worsening air quality from wildfires.
The lawsuit claims Trump’s orders suppress climate science and hinder renewable energy development, favoring fossil fuels and worsening air pollution. It states the executive orders infringe on the plaintiffs’ rights to life and liberty, echoing common themes in the hundreds of lawsuits against Trump’s policies. Lighthiser asserts Trump’s actions endanger their future, emphasizing the harmful effects of fossil fuel pollution.
Knudsen argues Montana has a vested interest in preserving Trump’s energy agenda, which could significantly affect the state’s economy and energy sector. Supporting this motion, states such as Wyoming, Idaho, South Dakota, and Texas, along with Guam, have joined Montana’s legal bid.
Our Children’s Trust, a nonprofit advocating for climate action, interprets the states’ intervention as a sign of fear. Julia Olson, Chief Legal Counsel, stated, “Their intervention confirms what we already know: this constitutional rights case is vitally important, urgent, and it is exposing unlawful policies they are desperate to defend.”
Montana’s legal landscape, rich in coal, natural gas, copper, and rare earth elements, is a fitting backdrop for this energy development dispute. A hearing on the government’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit is scheduled for September 16 and 17 in Missoula, overseen by U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen.
—
Read More Montana News
