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Why West Virginia's Attorney General Wants to Sue California

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Coal Stock Pile
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Coal Stock Pile

Political leaders in West Virginia and Kentucky are joining a coalition of states threatening to sue California over a program the state is pushing that would drop investments in coal.

This week the attorney general of West Virginia joined 11 other Republican attorneys general and the governor of Kentucky in signing a letter to the commissioner of the California Department of Insurance. The department wants any insurance companies licensed in California to divest from fossil fuels - especially coal. Many of the companies licensed in California are also licensed in many other states throughout the U.S.

West Virginia’s attorney general Patrick Morrisey says the insurance department’s “Climate Risk Carbon Initiative” is “an attempt by the insurance commissioner of one state to regulate the energy sector of a nation.”

It’s a voluntary program. All companies that do and do not divest will be publicly identified.

This public pressure prompted Oklahoma’s Attorney General Mike Hunter to threaten legal action. Hunter says the initiative is a “misguided” attempt at public shaming, promoting information that is “misleading” and “alarmist.”

California Commissioner David Jones is, so far, undeterred. He says it’s his duty to make sure insurers are addressing climate change-related risks.  

Copyright 2017 West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Glynis Board
Glynis Board hails from the northern panhandle of West Virginia. She’s now based in Morgantown where she’s been reporting for West Virginia Public Broadcasting since 2012. She covers a broad range of topics including arts and culture, women’s issues, and developments in the oil and gas industry. She’s also especially interested in covering news from the northern panhandle where she grew up.