{"id":2676582,"date":"2026-10-05T17:28:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T21:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elena-kagan-compares-boulders-climate-lawsuit-to-big-tobacco-lawsuits\/"},"modified":"2026-10-05T17:30:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T21:30:30","slug":"elena-kagan-compares-boulders-climate-lawsuit-to-big-tobacco-lawsuits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elena-kagan-compares-boulders-climate-lawsuit-to-big-tobacco-lawsuits\/","title":{"rendered":"Elena Kagan compares Boulder&#8217;s climate lawsuit to Big Tobacco lawsuits"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Felena-kagan-compares-boulders-climate-lawsuit-to-big-tobacco-lawsuits%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2676582&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Elena Kagan compared Boulder, Colorado&#8217;s lawsuits against oil companies over climate change damages to the historical Big Tobacco lawsuits of the 1990s. The U.S. Supreme Court is currently debating weather Boulder\u2019s climate lawsuit can proceed, specifically whether it is indeed preempted by federal law or violates the Constitution, or if it can move forward in state court. This case, Suncor Energy v. Boulder County, has significant implications for similar legal efforts by climate advocates and Democratic-led regions seeking to hold oil companies accountable for environmental damages.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-first wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Justice <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/elena-kagan\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"4303\">Elena Kagan<\/a> likened Boulder, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/colorado\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"767\">Colorado\u2019s<\/a> lawsuits against oil companies for alleged climate change damages to the litany of lawsuits filed against Big Tobacco in the 1990s, as the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"203\">Supreme Court<\/a> considered Monday whether to allow Boulder\u2019s landmark lawsuit to proceed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4753643\/supreme-court-appears-split-boulder-colorado-costly-climate-change-lawsuit\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4753643\/supreme-court-appears-split-boulder-colorado-costly-climate-change-lawsuit\/\">Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County<\/a><\/em>  over whether the lawsuit is preempted by federal law or not permissible under the Constitution, or if it can proceed to trial in state court. The case is expected to have sweeping ramifications for similar lawsuits that climate activists and Democrat-led jurisdictions have attempted to bring against <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/oil\/\">oil companies<\/a>, either broadly allowing them to continue or barring them as a matter of federal law.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<style>.explore-more-section { background: var(--wex-bg); border-top: 1px solid #ffffff; border-bottom: 1px solid #ffffff; margin: 24px 0; margin-top: -20px; }<\/style>\n<style id=\"mos-7f055898-28c9-46b7-928f-1e73a43b6af4-style\">@scope (#mos-7f055898-28c9-46b7-928f-1e73a43b6af4) { .we-meter {   --we-red: #DB3745;   --we-charcoal: #323E48;   --we-blue: #15BEF0;   --we-slate: #85A0AB;   --we-gold: #ECC270;   --we-text: #323E48;   --we-border: #85A0AB;    max-width: 800px;   margin: 0 auto;   padding: 1.5rem;   border: 1px solid rgba(33, 39, 42, 0.4);   border-radius: 12px;   background: #fff;   color: var(--we-text);   font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; }  .we-grid {   display: grid;   grid-template-columns: 1fr 200px;   gap: 1.5rem;   align-items: center; }  .we-title {   margin: 0 0 0.5rem;   font-family: Constantia, \"Lucida Bright\", \"DejaVu Serif\", Georgia, \"serif\" !important;   font-size: 1.75rem !important;   line-height: 1.1 !important;   letter-spacing: -0.02em !important; }  .we-title span {   display: block;   color: var(--we-red); }  .we-copy {   margin: 0;   font-size: 1rem !important;   line-height: 1.4 !important; }  .we-actions {   text-align: center; }  .we-cta {   display: flex;   align-items: center;   justify-content: center;   gap: 8px;   width: 100%;   padding: 12px 16px;   border-radius: 8px;   background: var(--we-red);   color: #fff !important;   text-decoration: none;   font-size: 0.9rem !important;   font-weight: 700 !important; }  .we-arrow {   font-size: 1.2em !important; }  .we-member {   margin: 12px 0 0;   font-size: 0.85rem !important;   line-height: 1.4 !important; }  .we-member a {   color: var(--we-red);   text-decoration: none; }  @media (max-width: 600px) {   .we-grid {     grid-template-columns: 1fr;     gap: 1rem;   }   .we-meter {     padding: 1.25rem;   }   .we-cta {     padding: 14px;   } } }<\/style>\n<p><script>if (typeof CSSScopeRule == 'undefined') { const style = document.getElementById('mos-7f055898-28c9-46b7-928f-1e73a43b6af4-style'); if (style) { style.textContent = style.textContent.replace(\/^@scope (#mos-7f055898-28c9-46b7-928f-1e73a43b6af4) { \/, '').replace(\/}$\/, '');}}<\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"mos-7f055898-28c9-46b7-928f-1e73a43b6af4\" style=\"display: contents;\">\n<section class=\"we-meter\" aria-label=\"Washington Examiner subscription meter\">\n<div class=\"we-grid\">\n<div>\n<h2 class=\"we-title\">Stay informed.<span>Stay ahead.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"we-copy\">                  Join Washington Examiner for unlimited access to the news, analysis, and commentary that matter most.       <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"we-actions\">       <a class=\"we-cta\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/subscribe\/digital\/\">         <span>See Options<\/span>         <span class=\"we-arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u203a<\/span>       <\/a>       <\/p>\n<p class=\"we-member\">Already a member? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sign-in\/\">Log in<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<style>#mos-d526c61f-0059-4e9b-9fa7-afe88104d7a0 > section { display: none; }<\/style>\n<div style=\"height: 160px; margin-top: -160px; margin-bottom: 40px; background: linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(245, 243, 235, 0), #FFFFFF); pointer-events: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;\"><\/div>\n<style id=\"mos-72facd48-f9c6-428a-a43a-7249ad62bb33-style\">@scope (#mos-72facd48-f9c6-428a-a43a-7249ad62bb33) { .we<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hemp-ban-would-shut-down-68-of-us-industry-report-finds\/\" title=\"Hemp ban would shut down 68% of US industry, report finds\">-page-content {   text-align<\/a>: center;   margin-bottom: 32px;   font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;   color: #333; }  .we-page-headline {   font-size: 42px;   line-height: 1.1;   margin-bottom: 24px;   font-weight: bold; }  .we-paywall-text {   font-size: 18px;   line-height: 1.5;   color: #555; }  .we-inline-barrier {   --we-red: #DB3745;   --we-charcoal: #323E48;   --we-blue: #15BEF0;   --we-slate: #85A0AB;   --we-gold: #ECC270;   --we-white: #ffffff;    position: relative;   overflow: hidden;   width: 100%;   max-width: 722px; \/* Reduced another 15% from 850px *\/   margin: 14px auto;   border-radius: 14px; \/* Reduced another 15% from 17px *\/   color: #fff;   font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;   background:     linear-gradient(90deg, rgba(50,62,72,.99) 0%, rgba(50,62,72,.92) 43%, rgba(50,62,72,.48) 68%, rgba(50,62,72,.22) 100%),     linear-gradient(0deg, rgba(50,62,72,.70), rgba(50,62,72,.08) 50%),     url(\"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/10\/localimages\/Washington_Examiner_Capitol_Final.png6ac41669c5c76.png\") right center \/ 50% 100% no-repeat,     var(--we-charcoal); }  .we-inner {   position: relative;   z-index: 2;   max-width: 382px; \/* Reduced another 15% from 450px *\/   padding: clamp(20px, 2.9vw, 42px); \/* Reduced another 15% *\/ }  .we-title {   margin: 0 0 20px; \/* Reduced another 15% from 24px *\/   font-family: Constantia, \"Lucida Bright\", \"DejaVu Serif\", Georgia, \"serif\";   font-size: clamp(25px, 3.4vw, 46px); \/* Reduced another 15% *\/   line-height: .98;   letter-spacing: -.035em;   color: white!important; }  .we-title span {   display: block;   color: var(--we-red); }  .we-deck {   margin: 0 0 21px; \/* Reduced another 15% from 25px *\/   max-width: 360px; \/* Reduced another 15% from 425px *\/   font-size: clamp(12px, 1.2vw, 18px); \/* Reduced another 15% *\/   line-height: 1.55;   color: white!important; }  .we-cta {   display: inline-flex;   align-items: center;   justify-content: center;   gap: 11px; \/* Reduced another 15% from 13px *\/   width: min(100%, 318px); \/* Reduced another 15% from 374px *\/   padding: 12px 17px; \/* Reduced another 15% *\/   border-radius: 8px; \/* Reduced another 15% from 10px *\/   background: var(--we-red);   color: #fff !important;   text-decoration: none;   font-size: clamp(12px, 1.3vw, 19px); \/* Reduced another 15% *\/   font-weight: 700; }  .we-cta:hover, .we-cta:focus-visible {   filter: brightness(.94); }  .we-arrow {   font-size: 1.35em;   font-weight: 400; }  .we-member, .we-cancel {   font-size: clamp(10px, 1vw, 15px); \/* Reduced another 15% from 18px *\/   line-height: 1.4; }  .we-member {   margin: 18px 0 0; \/* Reduced another 15% from 21px *\/   color: white !important; }  .we-cancel {   margin: 8px 0 0; \/* Reduced another 15% from 10px *\/   color: white !important; }  .we-member a {   color: var(--we-red);   text-decoration: none; }  @media (max-width: 820px) {   .we-inline-barrier {     background:       linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(50,62,72,.42) 0%, rgba(50,62,72,.94) 45%, rgba(50,62,72,1) 100%),       url(\"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/10\/localimages\/Washington_Examiner_Capitol_Final.png6ac41669c5c76.png\") top right \/ 100% 50% no-repeat,       var(--we-charcoal);   }   .we-inner {     max-width: none;     padding-top: 35%;   }   .we-cta {     width: 100%;   } }  .we-print-subscriber, .we-digital-subscriber {   text-align: center;   font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;   font-size: 14px;   font-weight: bold;   color: #333; }  .we-print-subscriber {   margin-top: 12px; }  .we-digital-subscriber {   margin-top: 6px; }  .we-print-subscriber a, .we-digital-subscriber a {   color: #DB3745;   text-decoration: underline; }  }<\/style>\n<p><script>if (typeof CSSScopeRule == 'undefined') { const style = document.getElementById('mos-72facd48-f9c6-428a-a43a-7249ad62bb33-style'); if (style) { style.textContent = style.textContent.replace(\/^@scope (#mos-72facd48-f9c6-428a-a43a-7249ad62bb33) { \/, '').replace(\/}$\/, '');}}<\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"mos-72facd48-f9c6-428a-a43a-7249ad62bb33\" style=\"display: contents;\">\n<div class=\"we-page-content\">\n<h1 class=\"we-page-headline\"><\/h1>\n<p class=\"we-paywall-text\">\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"we-print-subscriber\">      Print subscriber? <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/print-subscription-check\">Click here to login\/register your account<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"we-digital-subscriber\">      Digital subscriber? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sign-in\/\">Click here to login\/register your account.<\/a> <\/div>\n<section class=\"we-inline-barrier\" aria-label=\"Washington Examiner subscription offer\">\n<div class=\"we-inner\">\n<h2 class=\"we-title\">Trusted reporting.<span>Unlimited access.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"we-deck\">              Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis,       and subscriber-only journalism.     <\/p>\n<p>     <a class=\"we-cta\" href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/subscribe\/digital\">       <span>Get Unlimited Access<\/span>       <span class=\"we-arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u203a<\/span>     <\/a>     <\/p>\n<p class=\"we-member\">Already a member? <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sign-in\">Log in<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"we-cancel\">Cancel anytime.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<p><script> (window._matherq = window._matherq || []).push([   'paywallEvent',   {     type: 'paywall',     category: 'block',     action: 'stop',     wall_type: 'paywall'   } ]); <\/script><\/p>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Justice Elena Kagan compared Boulder, Colorado\u2019s legal actions against oil firms over alleged climate change impacts to the series of lawsuits brought against Big Tobacco in the 1990s, as the Supreme Court debated whether Boulder\u2019s historic case can move forward. On Monday, the Court heard oral arguments in Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, focusing on whether federal law preempts the lawsuit or if it violates constitutional principles, or if it should proceed in state court. The outcome could significantly influence similar climate-related lawsuits by activists and Democratic jurisdictions-either enabling their continuation or blocking them under federal law<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2676583,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/AP26195609659220-1.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[51667,82701,34319],"class_list":["post-2676582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-climate-change-2","tag-elena-kagan","tag-legal-battles"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/AP26195609659220-1.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2676582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2676582"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2676582\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2676586,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2676582\/revisions\/2676586"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2676583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2676582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2676582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2676582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}