The Biden administration’s suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal
land and water was blocked Tuesday by a federal judge in Louisiana.
U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty’s ruling came in a lawsuit filed in March by Louisiana’s Republican attorney general, Jeff Landry and officials in 12 other states. Doughty’s ruling granting a preliminary injunction to those states said his order applies nationwide.
The 13 states said the administration bypassed comment periods and other bureaucratic steps required before such delays
can be undertaken.
Doughty heard arguments in the case last week in Lafayette. The moratorium was imposed after Democratic President Joe
Biden on Jan. 27 signed executive orders to fight climate change. The suit was filed in March.
