Attorney General Brenna Bird Sues California to Protect Iowa and Iowans’ Wallets

DES MOINES— Attorney General Brenna Bird announced today she joined a coalition of 17 state attorneys general in challenging California’s Plastics Act to defend Iowans. The lawsuit intends to stop the impacts of costs that will be passed on to Iowans as a result of the Act, making basic necessities more expensive for everyone. 

With the California Plastics Act, California is imposing unrealistic requirements on manufacturers, distributors, and companies that package or ship products in plastic containers or use other types of packaging materials that merely incorporate plastics. The Act says sellers can only have access to California’s markets if they make radical changes to packaging design, production, and waste disposal—forcing businesses across the country to comply with California’s contrived environmental mandate. 

The Plastics Act’s mandates reach far beyond California, impacting virtually every business that uses plastic packaging, including businesses in Iowa. These requirements will drive up prices on everyday goods.  

“This is an unprecedented, but not surprising, overreach by California that will raise prices for Iowans on the everyday goods we need to live,” said Attorney General Bird. “Unelected California bureaucrats continue to try to tell every other state how to manufacture and produce everything from livestock to plastic containers. That's illegal and unconstitutional. This lawsuit is about protecting Iowans from higher costs and reminding California that their rules end at their state border.”  

Regulation and enforcement of California’s Plastic Act is by the Circular Action Alliance, an unaccountable private organization. With minimal oversight from California, the Alliance is empowered to collect up to $500 million annually from businesses seeking access to California’s market. The lawsuit seeks to stop the enforcement of the Act with a declaratory judgment that it violates both the United States Constitution and the California Constitution. 

Joining Attorney General Bird in the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. 

Read the court filing here. 

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For More Information:

Contact: Jen Green | jen.green@ag.iowa.gov