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With Scalia’s Death, Walker Says He’ll Monitor State’s Challenge Of Federal Climate Change Rules

Governor Says He'll Keep Close Tabs Of What Happens To High Court's Stay Of Changes

By
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker
Hope Kirwan/WPR

Gov. Scott Walker said he plans to keep close watch on how the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia affects Wisconsin’s case against the Obama administration’s climate change law.

Scalia was one of five justices who recently halted the initiative that aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants while a lower court prepares to hear arguments on the law. But if the lower court upholds the Clean Power Plan, and Republicans succeed in blocking President Barack Obama from getting a replacement for Scalia on the Supreme Court, the lower court ruling may stand if the high court would later tie 4-4.

Walker said he’ll “certainly have to watch that.”

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“I would hope that the court, regardless of who’s on or appoints them, would actually seek to uphold the Constitution,” he said.

Walker declines to say whether the U.S. Senate should agree to consider any Supreme Court nominee from the president.

The group Clean Wisconsin criticizes the governor for issuing an executive order blocking state agencies from working on a climate change law implementation plan.