That would be a dramatic change from the last eight years, during which our soon-to-be ex-president seemed to be doing everything he could think of and get away with to restrict our freedoms, thwart our desires, and weaken our nation – for the benefit of ideological allies, favor-seeking cronies, and gift-giving foreign trade rivals.
You remember old what's-his-name, the guy who announced in advance that he intended to destroy the coal industry in America and then set out to make good on his threat (to the great economic advantage of green-energy peddlers and Coal King China)?
One of many weapons in that ongoing war on coal was the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan, which West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and peers from other states challenged in court, delaying its implementation pending final resolution.
The AGs argued that the plan exceeds the EPA’s authority, double-regulating coal-fired power plants and forcing states to make dramatic changes to their energy portfolios and shift away from coal-fired generation.
Sensing that Donald Trump may be sincere about his desire to “make America great again,” and may actually turn out to be the kind of president who does what's best for our country, Morrisey, et al. are urging the President-elect and congressional leaders to withdraw the EPA's Clean Power Plan.
They want President Trump to sign an executive order on Day One asserting that his administration considers the plan unlawful and believes that the EPA has no authority to enforce it. They also want him to initiate formal administrative action to withdraw the Clean Power Plan and related matters in court.
The AG coalition wants Congress to take action to prevent the EPA from promulgating similarly arbitrary and capricious rules in the future.
If all goes well, 2017 could be a very happy new year.
