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MO leads coalition in lawsuit over Biden climate executive order

Missouri is leading a 12-state coalition in a lawsuit against the Biden administration for one of the president’s executive orders on climate change.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt says the order would lead to massive expansion of federal regulations including those for agriculture.

Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins supports the lawsuit which says President Biden did not have the authority to issue binding numbers for the social costs of greenhouse gasses, “You’re taking a very one-sided view. So you’re looking at what they believe is the social cost which ultimately will always have a negative impact, right, particularly when you look at agriculture’s contribution.”

Hawkins says the numbers are incomplete, “These numbers don’t take into account on all the positive contributions that are taking part on not just my farm but farms across the country.” Hawkins says they’ve been sinking carbon for years at his cattle grazing farm.

Attorneys General from Arkansas, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, and Tennessee are among those who have joined the lawsuit.

The lawsuit says only Congress has the authority to determine social costs of carbon, nitrous oxide and methane.