In decisions issued today, the First and Ninth Circuits continued to adhere to prior decisions that held that no federal issue justified removal of state and municipal climate-change cases to federal court and holding that the cases should be returned to state court.

      The new decisions involved cases brought respectively by the state of Rhode Island and the city and county of Honolulu. In the Rhode Island case, the First Circuit denied the defendant oil companies' motion for rehearing, finding no reason to reconsider its decision from earlier this year. In the Honolulu case, a new panel heard the oil companies' arguments and found the case belonged in state court. Earlier Ninth Circuit panels had made similar rulings in cases brought by various California counties and cities.

      In both cases decided today, CCL filed amicus curiae briefs urging the result issued by the courts on behalf of the National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and thee International Municipal Lawyers Association.