CHARLESTON — Two state leaders are declaring victory against the “woke virus in West Virginia.”
Attorney General J.B. McCuskey announced May 6 that California has agreed to repeal its electric-truck mandates that reach well beyond California’s borders.
The coalition of 17 states, led by Nebraska and the Nebraska Trucking Association, challenged a suite of California regulations called Advanced Clean Fleets in the Eastern District of California. Among other things, Advanced Clean Fleets would have required certain trucking companies to retire internal-combustion trucks and transition to more expensive and less efficient electric trucks.
McCuskey
| File photo
The rule targeted any fleet that operated in California regardless of where the fleet is headquartered. Given California’s large population and access to international ports, this rule would have had nationwide effects on the supply chain. In the settlement announced today, however, California has agreed not to enforce the rule and to outright repeal it.
“This is not only a victory for the trucking industry – it is also a victory for consumers and common sense,” McCuskey said. “This mandate would have crippled the trucking industry and driven up consumer pricing. I am proud of the work that our coalition did to stop the madness and stand up to California to prevent them from pushing their obsession with electric vehicle onto the rest of the country.”
As part of the settlement, California regulators pledged to commence rulemaking proceedings to formally scrub the rule from the books. California regulators also conceded that they cannot enforce California’s 2036 ban on the sale of internal-combustion trucks unless and until the ban receives a Clean Air Act preemption waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Previously, Attorney General McCuskey joined a 24-state coalition in successfully opposing California’s request for a waiver.
In addition to McCuskey and the Nebraska contingent, attorneys general from the following states joined the lawsuit against California regulators: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming as well as the Arizona State Legislature.
On May 7, Gov. Patrick Morrisey ceremoniously signed Senate Bill 474, which ends Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in the state as well as Senate Bill 299, which prohibits hormone blockers and gender transition surgeries for children under the age of 18.
“I pledged to root out DEI and eliminate the woke virus in West Virginia, and today, we’re following through on that promise,” Morrisey said. “We will lead with common sense, treat every citizen the same under the law, and protect children from making life-altering decisions at a young age.”
Morrisey was joined by legislators and supporters at the Summers County Memorial Building for the ceremonial signing. Morrisey also touted his previous actions to end DEI and other woke policies in the state, which includes issuing an executive order and signing HB 456, also known as the Riley Gaines Act.
SB 474 eliminates diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, trainings, activities, offices and officers from the executive branch, primary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education of the state. It also requires higher education institutions to reallocate any unexpended funds that would have been used on diversity, equity and inclusion projects.
SB 299 prohibits physicians, physician’s assistants and advanced practice registered nurses from providing gender reassignment surgery or gender altering medication to a person under 18 years of age. It also prohibits telehealth service providers from prescribing or dispensing gender altering medication to a person who is under 18 years of age.