California’s attorney general is waging war against Trump. These are the battlefronts
California has become a flag bearer in the nationwide resistance to Trump administration policies on immigration, the environment, regulation, government ethics and healthcare policy. The state has filed dozens of lawsuits challenging Trump policies and initiatives, added its voice to the resistance via friend-of-the-court briefs in many other cases, enacted legislation to protect interests its leaders feel have been abandoned by Trump, and implemented administrative policies to protect what Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra calls “California values.” Here’s a list of many of the most important legal steps Becerra has taken, often in conjunction with other states.
Environment & public lands
Healthcare
Immigration & civil rights
Education & consumer protections
Environment and public lands
March 31, 2017
Energy-efficiency standards
The lawsuit, brought by California's attorney general and eight other state attorneys general, challenged the Department of Energy's delay in issuing its conservation standard for ceiling fans. Read more
Result: The Department of Energy reversed itself and let the standard go into effect in September 2017.
April 7, 2017
Conflicts of interest
California made 32 separate requests under the Freedom of Information Act for documents related to possible conflicts of interest for then-Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, and sued when the EPA withheld the documents. Read more
Result: The EPA produced the documents nine months after the lawsuit was filed.
Winner: California
April 27, 2017
Taxpayer royalties for oil, coal and gas
California and New Mexico sued to stop Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke from repealing Obama-era regulations on the royalties that oil, coal and gas companies pay for production on federal lands. At stake in the repeal is a portion of the $82.5 million received by California in royalties and the $470 million received by New Mexico per year. Read more
Result: Case is pending
May. 10, 2017
Coal leasing on public land
The lawsuit challenges Interior's decision to restart coal leasing on public lands while cutting short an environmental review of the program. Read more
Result: Case is pending
June 13, 2017
Energy-efficiency standards
California joined with eight other states to force the Department of Energy to publish energy standards for portable air conditioners and four other products. Read more
Result: In February, a federal judge ordered the Energy Department to put the standards into effect.
Winner: California
July 5, 2017
Waste Prevention Rule
California joined with 15 other states to force Interior to implement a rule limiting the release of methane from oil and gas operations on public and tribal lands. Read more
Result: Case is pending
Aug. 1, 2017
Ozone-reduction standards
California joined with several other states to force the EPA to impose clean air standards, which EPA wanted to delay for a year. Read more
Result: A federal judged ordered the standards to go into effect in April.
Winner: California
Aug. 11, 2017
Scott Pruitt
California sued the EPA after the agency failed to produce the required documents detailed in a Freedom of Information Act request filed in April 2017. Read more
Result: The EPA released over 24,000 pages of documents requested by another Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by the Sierra Club.
Winner: California
Sep. 11, 2017
Transportation fuel-efficiency standards
California blocked an attempt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to delay penalties for automakers who fail to meet fuel-efficiency standards. Read more
Result: In April, a federal judge ordered the standards to be put into effect immediately.
Winner: California
Sep. 20, 2017
Greenhouse gas emissions on highways
California joined seven other states to force the Federal Highway Administration to implement rules setting standards for greenhouse gas emissions on highways. Read more
Result: Trump administration announced it would issue the standards a week after the lawsuit was filed.
Winner: California
Jan. 24, 2018
Fracking regulations
California sued to challenge the Bureau of Land Management’s repeal of regulations governing fracking on federal and Native American tribal lands. Read more
Result: Case is pending
Feb. 6, 2018
Suspension of the Clean Water Rule
California joined 10 other states to block the EPA from delaying a 2015 clean water regulation covering rivers and streams and shrinking the definition of waterways subject to the rule. The change would have heightened impact in California. Read more
Result: Case is pending
April 5, 2018
Methane emmisions
Filed suit along with 15 other Attorneys General against the EPA for failing to reduce methane emissions from existing oil and natural gas operations, as required under federal law. Read more
Result: The suit is awaiting a ruling.
April 10, 2018
Air pollution policy repeal
California sued to block the EPA from repealing the 1995 “once in, always in” rule, which requires air polluters such as oil refineries and chemical plants to take action to permanently reduce emissions. Rescinding the rule would allow polluters to game goverment regulations, the state says. Read more
Result: Case is pending
May. 1, 2018
National vehicle emmision standards
California led a coalition of 17 states and the District of Columbia to block the EPA from scrapping the nation's single vehicle emission standard, which is set to go into effect in 2022. Read more
Result: Case is pending
May. 30, 2018
Pesticide safety
California sued to prevent the EPA from suspending the Worker Protection Standard, which requires safety training for agricultural workers handling dangerous pesticides. Read more
Result: The EPA backed down two weeks after the lawsuit was filed, announcing it would implement the standard after all.
Winner: California
May. 31, 2018
Air pollution from landfills
California led eight other states in a lawsuit to force the EPA to enforce limits of the greenhouse gas methane at landfills under a 2016 rule. Landfills are the third-largest source of methane. Read more
Result: Case is pending
Healthcare
May. 18, 2017
Affordable Care Act
California led a coalition of 19 states to protect cost-sharing reduction reimbursments to insurers that the Trump administration ended. Read more
Result: Case is pending
Oct. 6, 2017
Access to affordable birth control
California led a court attack against a Trump administration policy allowing employers to refuse to cover birth control. Read more
Result: Preliminary injunction is granted to block the Trump policy. The case is now in appeals court.
April 9, 2018
Texas, et al.
California, with 15 other states, fights a Texas lawsuit that aims to invalidate the Affordable Care Act. California stepped in to defend the law after the Trump administration withdrew and claimed that the ACA is unconstitutional. Read more
Result: Case is pending, but California was allowed to join the suit
Immigration and Civil Rights
March 13, 2017
Muslim travel ban
California fought Trump's Muslim travel ban in several courts and at several judicial levels, including via a "friend-of-the-court" brief in support of a lawsuit by the state of Hawaii aimed at stopping the travel ban. Read more
Result: The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, upheld the travel ban on June 26
June 29, 2017
Immigration enforcement practices
California filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Homeland Security for details on an array of immigration enforcement practices. It sued to force DHS to provide the documents. Read more
Result: Case is pending
Aug. 14, 2017
Sanctuary jurisdictions
California sued to block administration efforts to require state and local immigration enforcement as a condition of receiving federal grants for law enforcement. Read more
Result: Case is pending
Sep. 11, 2017
DACA
California sued the Trump administration over its decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and obtained an injunction blocking the move. Read more
Result: A federal judge granted a temporary injunction; case is pending.
Sep. 20, 2017
The U.S.-Mexico border wall
California sued to challenge construction of a border wall in San Diego and Imperial Counties. Read more
Result: A judge ruled the projects can proceed. California is appealing the decision.
March 27, 2018
2020 Census
California sued to challenge the Trump administration’s attempt to add a question about U.S. citizenship. Read more
Result: Case is pending, though a New York federal judge has cleared that state's lawsuit to move ahead
June 26, 2018
Child separation at the U.S. border
California filed suit as part of a coalition of 18 attorneys general challenging the separation of families at the U.S. border. Read more
Result: A California judge ordered all families to be reunited within 30 days in response to a separate lawsuit filed by the ACLU. The states' case is pending.
Education and consumer protections
June 14, 2017
Borrower Defense Rule
California filed a motion to defend the loan-forgiveness process for students defrauded by their schools after the Department of Education announced plans to overhaul the rule. The department eventually cut back forgiveness. Read more
Result: Case is pending
Jan. 16, 2018
Net neutrality
California filed suit against the Federal Communications Commission challenging its attempt to repeal net neutrality rules. Read more
Result: Petition to block FCC action was rejected, state Legislature is moving to impose statewide net neutrality rules
Winner: California
Credits: Patrick McGreevey also contributed reporting.