Alabama Attorney General Opposes California’s EV Mandate

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who is also running for the US Senate in 2026, is taking action against California’s upcoming electric vehicle mandate.

Marshall criticized California, stating, “They can’t dictate what cars or trucks Alabamians can drive. This extreme agenda is really just a way to push the nation into California’s unsuccessful environmental policies, costing jobs and limiting choices.”

He took part in a coalition of 26 states aiming to confront what they see as an unfair war on gas-powered vehicles in California. A recent filing in the Federal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit argues concerning the authorities that Congress and President Trump hold in overturning an exemption that the Biden administration’s EPA granted to California.

This exemption permitted California’s aggressive push for net-zero emissions, which some argue is steering Americans to only buy vehicles that might not even exist yet.

Marshall highlighted that the truck ban from California not only raises costs for consumers but also diminishes demand for liquid fuels like biodiesel, jeopardizing trucking jobs nationwide.

“We won’t let California elites dictate our economy or let Gavin Newsom interfere from Sacramento,” he added. He also remarked, “If Newsom invested as much energy into fixing issues at home as he does in creating controversies, perhaps families and businesses wouldn’t be leaving California in droves.”

Alabama’s government isn’t the only one concerned about California’s mandates. US Representative Gary Palmer, who sits on the House Energy Commerce Committee, recently reached out to the California Air Resources Committee, questioning the state’s compliance with the EV regulations.

The price of electric trucks can start at around $100,000, with some models costing even more. Only a handful of states—eight in total—have adopted California’s truck ban, leaving most of the state’s vehicle purchases still on the table.

Alabama is part of a brief led by Iowa that includes states like Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wyoming.