Morgan Hill and Petaluma, along with San Mateo, Marin, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties, suing the Trump administration. They are pushing back against funding limitations that would preclude applicants from consideration if they are opposed to key priorities. The result is a severe clash between local ordinances and federal law. Accordingly, the complaint was brought in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
That’s exactly what the Trump administration is targeting when it highlights local laws prohibiting natural gas infrastructure and appliances in new construction. It finds that these laws contradict federal efforts supporting diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and reproductive rights. Since 2019, dozens of municipalities all over the United States have passed similar ordinances. This reforestation initiative is just one small step of the companies’ collective ambition to combat worsening climate change. California has long been lauded for having some of the most aggressive statewide climate change policies in the world.
The legal challenge contends that the anti-business ordinances adopted this summer by Morgan Hill and Petaluma violate a 1975 state law. This law specifically bars states and cities from regulating the “energy use” of appliances and equipment covered by federal standards. The complaint argues that these local restrictions “impose crushing costs on California residents” and asserts their unlawfulness.
“The natural gas bans not only impose crushing costs on California residents but are also unlawful,” – complaint
Morgan Hill and Petaluma are plaintiffs to the one big challenge taking place in the Implementing Regulations. They are forcing the issue by suing the Trump administration for their harassment of sanctuary jurisdictions. This multi-pronged legal strategy illustrates the increasing and sustained antagonism between California’s local governments and the current federal administration. Once again, these conflicts focus on environmental and immigration policies.
According to Peggy Flynn, the city manager of Petaluma, the city has not yet commented on the new lawsuit. The legal landscape for natural gas bans is changing. In 2023, that decision was handed down by a federal appeals court, ultimately striking down Berkeley’s natural gas ban. This ruling has the potential to serve as a bellwether for any number of similar future cases across the state.
Republican leaders, such as specific GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, have waged war on these local Democratic initiatives to ban or restrict gas-powered appliances. They complain that these initiatives hurt Californians. The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for the ongoing debate about energy policy and local governance in California.