U.S. Chamber files First Amendment suit against California climate laws

The US Chamber of Commerce and allied business groups filed suit in the Central District of California in January 2024, arguing that SB 253 and SB 261 constitute compelled speech in violation of the First Amendment. Plaintiffs contended that forcing corporations to generate and publish climate-related disclosures amounted to government-compelled political expression. The district court was asked to issue a preliminary injunction halting enforcement while the case proceeded.