Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is expected to file her controversial climate lawsuit “soon” – a timeline environmental activists pointed to in the fall and one her office signaled in early 2024 when issuing an RFP for outside counsel to support the case. In another controversial move by the Democratic AG, her office lobbied the state Supreme Court this month to hand the AG more power, reviving a battle that has long pitted trial lawyers against Michigan’s business community. 

The question before the court is whether long-standing limits on the AG’s authority should be scrapped – specifically, two precedents, Smith and Liss, which prevent consumer deception lawsuits against licensed, regulated businesses. Clearing these guardrails would give the AG sweeping new power under the Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCPA) and lay the legal foundation for the climate case she’s been preparing. 

Although the request was framed as protecting Michiganders from everyday scams at places like used car dealerships, the context is hard to ignore. Activist groups and even the U.S. Department of Justice have pointed to Michigan as the next battleground for state-led climate litigation. It’s been nearly a year and a half since Nessel vowed to join the roster of left-wing attorneys general targeting the energy sector – her timing now suggests she may be waiting for the Court to greenlight the expanded authority she needs. 

Read the full post at EIDClimate.org.