Court upholds Minnesota ‘Clean Car Rule’ tied to California

By STEVE KARNOWSKI
Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Court of Appeals has upheld the state’s “Clean Car Rule,” which ties the state’s vehicle emission standards to California regulations. A three-judge panel Monday rejected the arguments of Minnesota’s auto dealers, who argued that state pollution regulators exceeded their authority and unconstitutionally delegated their rulemaking authority to California. The court accepted assurances that California’s planned phaseout of gas-powered cars won’t automatically apply in Minnesota. The decision was a victory for the administration of Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, which adopted the rule in 2021. Seventeen states link their emission standards to California’s, which are stronger than federal regulations.