State Officials To Push Trio Of Lawsuits Challenging Federal Regulations

Wisconsin is battling the U.S. government in three lawsuits that could be decided before the end of next year. In all three, state officials are challenging the right of the federal government to supersede state-enacted regulations.

One of the lawsuits challenges the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new Clean Power rules that impose new limits on emissions from coal-fired power plants. Wisconsin and 25 other states are trying to block the new restrictions, claiming they will cripple their local economies.

Wisconsin and 18 other states are also suing the EPA over new Clean Water rules that impose federal regulations on navigable waters superseding state rules already in place.

In the third case, state officials are challenging the right of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to bar the state from drug testing food stamp recipients. State officials claim the new law conforms with a 1996 federal law that allows the tests.

Environmental protection and welfare advocates are hoping that federal law prevails in all three cases.

The U. S Department of Agriculture has threatened to withhold federal food stamp dollars from Wisconsin if the state implements the drug testing program.