Republican Adam Laxalt (DOB: 8/31/78) is the outgoing Attorney General of Nevada, a position he has held since 2014. Laxalt repeatedly used his position as Attorney General to challenge Obama administration environmental protections, including the Clean Power Plan and the designation of National Monuments. Laxalt initially supported the Bundys in their armed dispute with the Bureau of Land Management, referring to the family as “friends” in a 2014 press release; he later backtracked and said he would never support law breaking activity. Laxalt was heavily supported by the Koch brothers and other energy interests in his unsuccessful 2018 campaign for governor.
Key findings include:
Laxalt Filed A Friend Of The Court Brief In Support Of More Road Building On Public Land. “Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt announced the filing of a ‘friend of the court brief’ in a federal court dispute between environmental groups and Elko County. The AG's brief, supporting Elko County, addresses the historical understanding of what constitutes a public road under Nevada law. In a lawsuit against the rural county, environmental groups claim that the only way a public road could be created under Nevada law in the 19th century was by a county commission's affirmative action. The Attorney General's Office filed a brief explaining that this interpretation of the law is incorrect. ‘This public land access issue before the federal court is one of tremendous importance to all of Nevada, given that most of our state is federal public land,’ said Laxalt. ‘Public access is vital for many different important activities in Nevada, including recreation, ranching, mining and a host of other activities. On behalf of Nevada, I am committed to fighting for our access to public lands.’” [Attorney General Adam Laxalt Press Release, 3/17/15]
Laxalt On The Endangered Species Act: “It’s Not Working For America, And It’s Not Working For Nevada.” “Republican attorney general candidate Adam Laxalt said Wednesday that if he wins the Nov. 4 election, one of the first acts will be to sue the federal government over its management of the Endangered Species Act. While campaigning, Laxalt said he has traveled across the state three times ,and ranchers, farmers and others have told him that if the sage grouse is listed as an endangered species, it could devastate the state. Such a listing could set aside up to 1.5 million acres as protected habitat. He said he believes the federal government has overreached in enforcing the act and has stepped on the rights of Nevada and other states in dictating how to deal with various species. ‘It’s not working for America, and it’s not working for Nevada,’ Laxalt told the Review-Journal’s editorial board. ‘People are terrified.’” [Las Vegas Review-Journal, 9/4/14]
Laxalt: “I Want To Work To File Some Lawsuits And Challenge The Authority To Designate The Sage Grouse As A Protected Species.” “On public lands, Laxalt said there’s a growing consensus among attorneys general in western states they need to regain public land, like a state task force commissioned at the last state legislative session. As a former naval officer, Laxalt said he’ll look for solutions already out there and not reinvent the wheel, like following Utah’s lead on that issue. ‘Another good idea along those lines is the sage grouse. We have a delegation right now that is pretty united that we need to fight against this designation of the sage grouse, since it will take over huge sectors of our economy and as attorney general I want to work to file some lawsuits and challenge the authority to designate the sage grouse as a protected species,’ he said.” [Pahrump Valley Times, 7/30/14]
Laxalt Opposed The Creation Of Gold Butte And Bears Ears National Monuments, Calling It A “Unilateral Land Grab.” “Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt issued the following statement after the designation of two new national monuments: ‘Today, President Obama created two new national monuments in Nevada and Utah, setting aside a total of 1.65 million acres of land, without the support of Congress. This unilateral land grab is the latest attempt for the outgoing president to add another layer of unnecessary federal control to our State. Although I am not surprised by the president's actions, I am deeply disappointed at his last minute attempt to cement his environmental legacy by undermining local control of Nevada's communities, and damaging our jobs and economy.’” [Attorney General Adam Laxalt Press Release, 12/28/16]