Shouldn't Democrats... be saying something about this?

Last week, Big Oil’s top-funded Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY) introduced a bill called the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026. They framed it as a way to “protect American energy from leftist legal crusades punishing lawful activity.”

What it actually does is give the fossil fuel industry a permanent shield against lawsuits and state laws that seek to hold the industry financially accountable for climate change, and for misleading the public about the catastrophic health, economic and environmental consequences of using their products.

The gun industry achieved a similar type of legal immunity in 2005. That law, called Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, has largely prevented victims of gun violence from seeking justice against irresponsible industry actors, and has sometimes resulted in victims being forced to pay gun industry legal fees.

  • hemmes@lemmy.worldEnglish
    35·
    6 days ago

    Here’s the thing - when oil companies get the legal smack down, in many cases, it’s found that they themselves knew and admit to the damage they cause and cover that knowledge up. They continue to harm people and the environment as covertly as possible. So even they know they’re doing something wrong.

    You can argue that environmental damage isn’t big oil’s fault, but big oil wouldn’t agree with you. Passing a law like this could only be acceptable to those in big oil’s pockets.

  • skisnow@lemmy.caEnglish
    24·
    6 days ago

    The ability to petition the courts to rectify a wrong is one of the cornerstones of a functioning society.

    If you don’t provide citizens with the ability to seek justice from the government, how else will they obtain it?

  • Mulligrubs@lemmy.worldEnglish
    14·
    6 days ago

    That’s not how bills work.

    Either party can reverse this whenever they want to… just like the “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act”.

    Now, they do like to pretend the bills are permanent, admittedly.