By Megan Michelotti, Helena Independent Record
The nation’s first-ever constitutional climate case brought forth by 16 Montana youth plaintiffs has cleared its pretrial conference and is set to go to trial on June 12 in front of Lewis and Clark County 1st Judicial District Court Judge Kathy Seeley.
Held v. Montana was filed on March 13, 2020, with the youth plaintiffs claiming that Montana’s fossil fuel-driven energy system is violating their state constitutional rights “to a clean and healthful environment.”
The youth plaintiffs are asking the court to declare Montana’s State Energy Policy Goals and the climate change exception in the Montana Environmental Policy Act that waives the state’s consideration of climate impacts beyond its borders as unconstitutional.
