Texas challenges Newsom’s gas car crackdown, warning California can’t dictate US auto market

The state of Texas is intervening in California’s attempts to implement stricter vehicle emissions standards than those set by the federal government. 

After Congress and Trump revoked three waivers the Biden administration granted California, which allowed the state to set stricter vehicle emissions standards than those at the federal level, Newsom immediately sued and issued an executive order directing state agencies to continue pushing the heightened standards. California’s attempt to circumvent Congress could impact other states, since provisions of the federal Clean Air Act allow them to adopt California’s tougher emissions regulations as opposed to the federal baseline. 

Meanwhile, a few weeks after Newsom’s executive order, the Trump administration announced it would sue California in an effort to prevent them from trudging forward with the “unlawful” emissions standards. Now Texas is joining that fight with the help of pro-Trump legal group America First Legal (AFL).

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“California’s crusade is not about innovation—it is about abusing the legal system to flout federal law and impose its radical agenda on all Americans,” said Daniel Epstein, vice president of America First Legal. “America First Legal stands proudly with the State of Texas to defend competition, consumer choice, and the rule of law. We will not let Gavin Newsom remake America in California’s image.”

Texas’ motion to intervene, filed Friday with the United States District Court for the Northern District of California Oakland Division, asks the court to allow Texas to become a party to the case so it can defend the interests of Texans, which state Attorney General Ken Paxton and AFL say would be impacted by California’s attempt to impose strict electric vehicle mandates that can have an effect on the rest of the country. 

“I am standing with President Trump in his effort to stop Gavin Newsom and California from shoving its insane so-called ‘green energy’ vehicle standards down the nation’s throat,” said Paxton. “Texas will not look the other way while the failed state of California undermines our sovereignty, attacks America’s energy independence, and intentionally adopts destructive policies that would harm the other States.”

Currently, 17 other states and the District of Columbia have chosen to adopt at least part of California’s vehicle emissions standards, according to a report released this month by the California Air Resources Board. The same report notes that, collectively, these states represent 40% of the nation’s light-duty vehicle market, and 25% of its heavy-duty vehicle market.

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California’s efforts to implement stricter car emissions regulations would effectively outlaw the sale of new gas- and diesel-powered vehicles by 2035, AFL argued in a press release accompanying their Friday filing. Subsequently, AFL notes, the strict regulations would then impact car manufacturers because they would “dictate the requirements for all cars sold throughout the United States” since manufacturers typically do not produce different vehicle lineups for different states.

“That means fewer choices for families, skyrocketing costs, and an America remade in California’s image,” AFL stated in its press release. 

In addition to the state of Texas, a major pro-business group, the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce (AmFree), has also taken action to intervene in the case on the side of the Trump administration, with several agricultural and trade organizations backing the move.

“It’s clear this is not one of those issues that is like ‘the Trump administration doing something completely novel’ and ‘courts having to wrestle with that,'” said Michael Buschbacher, the lead attorney working with AmFree. “This is like squarely, ‘Congress passed the law. You can’t undo that law unless it’s unconstitutional and there’s nothing unconstitutional here.'”

Fox News Digital reached out to Gov. Newsom’s office for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.