UP Gazette

State Rep. Dave Prestin on Monday endorsed a letter addressed to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, criticizing her plan to initiate lawsuits against Michigan oil and gas providers. Nessel intends to sue key energy companies, alleging they knowingly contributed to climate change.

“Energy and fuel costs for regular people are already way too high. The only reason they haven’t gone higher is because of American oil and gas production,” said Prestin, R-Cedar River. “This access gives us an affordable and readily available baseload energy supply that helps keep costs down and the lights on for families across the Upper Peninsula. Democrats in Lansing and Washington, D.C., are already forcing a devastating shift to unreliable wind and solar power. Now, they want to bankrupt the companies powering our state before anyone can undo their terrible policies.”

Last week, Nessel announced she would use taxpayer resources to seek proposals from outside lawyers interested in suing oil and gas providers on behalf of her office. Prestin noted that if Nessel’s plan succeeds, it will mean taxpayer dollars will have been used to pay an individual whose efforts could potentially raise energy costs further.

“These energy providers didn’t commit any crimes, yet Nessel is going after them anyway,” Prestin said. “What’s the next step? Will this Attorney General prosecute homeowners who use unconventional home heating systems like an outdoor boiler? What about people who heat their home with propane or natural gas furnaces? There is a concerted effort within the state and federal governments to pull household appliances like gas stoves and dryers right out of our homes. They’re not just after your car; they’re after everything that makes modern life affordable.”

The businesses targeted by Nessel's office play a significant role in Michigan families' daily lives by fueling vehicles, heating homes, and providing raw materials for other critical industries. She claims these companies were aware of their contributions to climate change. Republican lawmakers are questioning who might be next in line for what they perceive as politically motivated legal actions. More than 31 legislators signed onto the letter condemning Nessel for allegedly using her office for political purposes.

“The attorney general’s job is to charge criminals and make our communities safer, not play make-believe with crimes that don’t exist,” Prestin said. “She continues to erode the public’s trust in her office with politically motivated prosecutions. Dana Nessel needs to stop catering to limousine environmentalists and actually buckle down and do her job.”

###