Championed by Gov. Tim Walz, Minnesota became the first state in the Midwest to adopt California’s stricter tailpipe emissions standards in an effort to combat climate change. The new rule, which encountered stiff opposition from Republicans, also included a mandate for automakers to bolster their stock of all-electric and hybrid vehicles.
The Minnesota Auto Dealers Association (MADA) filed suit against the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, claiming regulatory overreach. The Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the state’s clean car mandate in January, prompting the appeal to the nation’s highest court. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a lawsuit.
