Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced a significant legal victory last week, marking the defeat of the Biden Administration’s controversial emissions regulations imposed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
The regulations, which sought to enforce declining emissions targets for vehicles on federal interstates and highways, were struck down after a lengthy legal battle led by a 21-state coalition.
In 2023, Alabama joined the coalition, spearheaded by Kentucky, to challenge the FHWA rule. The regulation aimed to reduce vehicle emissions by requiring states to set and meet specific targets, a move critics argued was an overreach of federal authority and an attempt to push a partisan environmental agenda.
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Estimates indicated that compliance with the rule would have required hundreds of hours of manpower and cost each state over $600,000 to establish initial emissions targets.
The legal challenge culminated in April 2024 when a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky ruled the FHWA regulation unlawful.
The Biden Administration appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. However, following the change in administration, President Donald Trump withdrew the federal government’s support for the rule, prompting the FHWA to voluntarily dismiss the appeal. This action allowed the district court’s ruling to stand, effectively ending the regulation.
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“The people of Alabama—and Americans across the country—have the right to choose the vehicles that best suit their needs, free from the heavy hand of Washington bureaucrats,” said Attorney General Marshall. “The Biden Administration’s attempt to force an extreme environmental agenda on hardworking Americans was not just unlawful—it was an affront to our freedoms. Thanks to our fight in court and President Trump’s leadership, this misguided EV mandate is now dead. This victory ensures that states, not the federal government, remain in the driver’s seat when it comes to transportation policy.”
The lawsuit against the FHWA rule was supported by attorneys general from 20 other states, including Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
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The coalition argued that the regulation imposed undue financial and administrative burdens on states while infringing on their authority to manage transportation policies.
The Biden Administration had framed the rule as a critical step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change.
However, opponents contended that it would have disproportionately impacted rural and low-income communities, where electric vehicles (EVs) and alternative transportation options are less accessible.
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