What happened: California’s plastics litter nuisance lawsuit against Exxon Mobil is the state’s latest attempt to regulate through litigation, a practice that’s suffocating the state’s economy.

Tell me more: California’s climate nuisance suits against oil and gas companies are literally driving businesses out of the state. After California sued Chevron over climate nuisance, the energy producer announced it was moving its headquarters from California to Texas, citing the lawsuit and California’s heavy-handed approach to regulation.

• California’s lawsuit against Exxon Mobil is the first attempt at blaming oil and gas producers for plastics litter, disregarding the critical role those materials play in the vast majority of consumer goods.

What about Texas: With 500,000 Texas jobs dependent on oil and gas production and 40,000 tied to plastics manufacturing, climate nuisance lawsuits could have catastrophic consequences for Texas families and communities.

TLR Thoughts: Nothing in state law is stopping a Texas city or county from filing heavy-handed nuisance lawsuits like California. Without legislative intervention, Texas could face a wave of litigation that threatens its economic stability, workforce and the availability of the products we all rely on every day.

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