Minnesota appeals court rules "clean car" standards are constitutional
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled that the "clean car" standards the Walz administration and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency seek to implement in this state are constitutional.
The ruling comes following a challenge by the Minnesota Auto Dealers' Association. That organization argued that the standards would "violate Article I of the Minnesota Constitution."
"We hold that the MPCA has the statutory authority to adopt a statewide motor-vehicle emission rule and Minnesota is an eligible state under the CAA to adopt California's motor-vehicle emission standards," the court ruled in a Monday filing. "We therefore conclude that the Clean Car Rule is vaild."
Read the full ruling below:
Minnesota Court of Appeals #A22-0796 by WCCO - CBS Minnesota on Scribd
The "clean car" rules adopted by the Walz administration are to take effect in 2024 for the 2025 model year, thereby encouraging a switchover to electric vehicles in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb the worsening impact of climate change.
The standards -- which only apply to new vehicles for sale in Minnesota -- do not apply to off-road or heavy-duty vehicles and equipment, farm equipment or semi-trucks.
Minnesota and more than a dozen other states have signed onto California's emission standards, which are stricter than the federal standards. Minnesota was the first Midwestern state to adopt the plan.