ALEC Model Bill Would Put Big Oil Above the Law

ORLANDO, FL - As the fossil fuel industry lobbys state and federal lawmakers for immunity from any laws or lawsuits that could hold Big Oil companies accountable for their role in the climate crisis, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) approved a model bill that would provide fossil fuel companies with a “liability shield” and “immunity from climate change claims.” 

Eleven states and dozens of local governments have filed lawsuits against Big Oil companies to hold them accountable for deceiving the public about their role in the climate crisis. Many of those cases are advancing toward discovery and trial, and on October 5, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear Big Oil’s arguments to escape one brought by the City and County of Boulder, Colorado. 

Republican members of Congress have introduced fossil fuel immunity bills in the House and Senate, and five states — Iowa, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah — passed similar state-level liability shields for fossil fuel companies this year. A recent ProPublica investigation found that these bills are part of a coordinated effort linked to right-wing activist Leonard Leo.

Iyla Shornstein, Political Director at the Center for Climate Integrity, released the following statement: 

“These extremist proposals are part of a corrupt and coordinated effort to put Big Oil companies above the law and pass the costs of their misconduct onto American taxpayers. A more accurate title for this bill would be the ‘Protect Big Oil By Sticking Taxpayers With All Climate Costs’ Act. No industry should be above the law. Big Oil companies have deceived the public about their dangerous products for decades, and elected officials should protect the American people’s right to hold them accountable.”

Background on U.S. Climate Accountability Lawsuits Against Big Oil: 

Eleven U.S. states — California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai`i, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont — and the District of Columbia, along with dozens of city, county, and tribal governments in California, Colorado, Hawai`i, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Puerto Rico, have active lawsuits to hold major oil and gas companies accountable for deceiving the public about their products’ role in climate change. These cases collectively represent more than 1 in 4 people living in the United States.

The “No Immunity for Big Oil” Campaign
A growing number of elected officials and public interest groups oppose calls to put Big Oil above the law, including 10 Governors, 21 Attorney Generals and Local Officials, the National Association of Counties, and hundreds of civic organizations, members of faith communities, public health professionals, and tens of thousands of people across the country. A recent poll found that voters across the ideological spectrum overwhelmingly oppose giving oil and gas corporations legal immunity.

To learn more, visit noimmunityforbigoil.org