Montana Files Amicus Brief Challenging ‘Kid Climate Change’ Suit

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - The Montana State Legislature has added its collective voice to many others in challenging the Held v Montana case, commonly dubbed the ‘Kid Climate Case’ now pending before the Montana Supreme Court.

KGVO News spoke with Republican legislative spokesman Kyle Schmauch about the court action.

The State Legislature has Joined in the Fight to Overturn Held v Montana

“Held versus Montana is the big climate case that's gotten a lot of coverage in the press,” began Schmauch. “That case came out of two pieces of legislation that were passed in the 2023 legislative session that said that the Department of Environmental Quality can consider greenhouse gas emissions when looking at permitting different projects.”

Schmauch explained the reasoning behind the Amicus Brief.

Schmauch said the Legislature is the Only Branch Designed to Make Policy

“The basic argument that the legislature is putting forward is that the complexity of environmental regulation and the provisions of the Montana Constitution make it so that the legislature is the only branch of government that's designed to deal with this type of policy making, and urging the Montana Supreme Court to reverse the District Court decision and return the power to consider these environmental policies back to the people and to their elected representatives.”

Schmauch also added his voice to those criticizing the political manipulation of young children in order to reach a legal decision.

Schmauch said the Case Manipulated Children for Political Gain

“On the media coverage front, it's been pretty atrocious,” he said. “There was wall to wall media coverage, glowing profiles of the plaintiffs, and minimal acknowledgement that all the funding for this is coming from an out of state environmental organization. On the flip side, we have dozens of different businesses, nonprofit groups like the Chamber of Commerce, property owners associations, and now the state legislature who have all filed Amicus Briefs in defense of the state's position on this and looking at the potentially massive consequences to be able to keep the lights on and keep people's homes heated.”

A copy of the Montana Legislature’s Amicus Brief can be read by clicking here.