AG Mayes Speaks Out Against Climate Rule Changes

Kris Mayes Attorney General

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes spoke out against the Trump administration's initiative to weaken environmental regulations as she believes. She's concerned that these changes could harm people's health and worsen pollution.

What's at Stake

Kris Mayes testified to Congress about a proposal that would take away the government's power to control pollution from cars and factories and uploaded a video to explain her reasoning.

"I testified against the Trump Administration's proposal to repeal EPA's finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health." Stated Kris Mayes on X. "This move would strip EPA's authority to regulate pollution and eliminate vehicle emission standards."

The Importance

Certain gases in the air trap heat from the sun, making Earth warmer. These include pollution from cars, farms, and factories. When there's too much of these gases, it changes weather patterns and makes temperatures rise.

This warming affects everything; it makes some places hotter, changes when and where it rains, and raises ocean levels. These changes can hurt people's health, damage crops, and cause problems for animals and coastal towns, as researched by the EPA.

The Legal Fight

Since 2009, the federal government has had the legal right to control these harmful gases. This authority came from a ruling that said greenhouse gas pollution threatens public health, reports say.

The Trump administration wants to dispute this ruling. If successful, it would eliminate almost all federal rules controlling climate pollution, ultimately stating one of the most significant rollbacks of environmental protection in U.S. history.

Government officials say Congress never provided permission to regulate climate pollution in the first place. But Mayes and other state leaders are fighting to keep these protections in place.

Mayes believes removing these rules would be dangerous for Arizona families and communities across America. She's working to ensure the government retains its authority to protect people from harmful pollution.

"EPA is proposing to bury its head in the sand and ignore the mounting cost of climate change for all Americans," expressed Mayes.

Ericka Piñon

Ericka Pinon is a state and federal reporter for Cactus Politics. She was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and is fluent in both English and Spanish. She is currently studying Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University.