Oklahoma AG appeals ESG ruling to state Supreme Court (2024)
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What’s the story? Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R) filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court seeking to overturn a lower court’s ruling against the state’s anti-ESG law. The statute prohibits state contracts and investments with asset managers who—in the state treasurer’s view—boycott the fossil fuel industry.
Why does it matter? Oklahoma’s decision on the anti-ESG law could set an example that other states may consider in enforcing their own laws.
What’s the background? Drummond has become involved in several cases related to ESG and Oklahoma’s energy industry. In addition to supporting Oklahoma’s anti-ESG law—the Energy Discrimination Act of 2022—in state courts, Drummond last month joined a multi-state challenge of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule limiting heavy-duty truck emissions. He also challenged the EPA’s authority to reject the state’s ozone emissions plan in 2023. See this newsletter’s previous coverage of the Oklahoma Energy Discrimination Act of 2022 here.
Read more: From Environment and Energy Leader:
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For Drummond, the fight to safeguard Oklahoma’s energy sector and fiscal policies embodies a wider struggle against environmental measures that, in his view, ignore the economic realities facing energy-dependent states. As his anti-ESG appeal moves forward, Oklahoma’s stance could set a precedent for other states grappling with ESG considerations in public investments, underscoring the question of where state authority ends and federal influence begins. Drummond’s escalating legal battles with federal agencies reflect a potent intersection of energy policy, state rights, and the shifting boundaries of environmental governance. Whether defending Oklahoma’s sovereignty against EPA mandates or shielding public funds from ESG-driven restrictions, Drummond's actions resonate deeply within an intensifying national debate on the future of state-regulated finance and energy policy. The Supreme Court’s eventual ruling on Oklahoma’s anti-ESG law could reshape the landscape for states aiming to resist ESG mandates—an outcome Drummond seems prepared to pursue at all costs.[1] |
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See also
- Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)
- Economy and Society: Ballotpedia's ESG newsletter
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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