The state’s attorney general says the sagebrush lizard designation is an attempt to undermine the oil industry.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday for designating the dunes sagebrush lizard as an endangered species.
AG Paxton stated that the president’s administration is “weaponizing environmental law” in a “backdoor attempt to undermine Texas’s oil and gas industries which help keep the lights on for America.” The local lizard’s geographic range overlaps the state’s Permian Basin, a region that produces the most oil within the United States, and its designation prevents private and public landowners from disturbing its natural habitat.
The Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates the state’s oil and gas industry, requested the Texas attorney general file the lawsuit challenging the lizard’s endangered status in June, calling the listing “a political game.” This lawsuit is one of several filed by the Texas attorney general against the policies of President Biden’s administration.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the Texas attorney general to seek God’s wisdom as he attempts to protect the interests of his state and economy.
- For the president, vice president, and environmental officials as they assess the dangers to various species.
Sources: Reuters, Newsweek, Axios
