State v. American Petroleum Institute

The Minnesota Supreme Court denied fossil fuel industry defendants’ petitions for further review of the Minnesota Court of Appeals’ January 2026 decision affirming denial of the defendants’ motions to dismiss the State of Minnesota’s lawsuit alleging that the defendants caused climate change-related injuries to the State by misleading the public regarding the threat of climate change and their products’ connection to the threat. The questions the defendants asked the Supreme Court to review included whether the Court of Appeals improperly ruled on an issue regarding the applicability of Minnesota’s anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) law that the parties did not raise and whether the Court of Appeals correctly interpreted the anti-SLAPP statute not to apply to claims seeking equitable relief. The defendants also sought review on questions regarding the constitutionality of Minnesota’s statute providing for general personal jurisdiction.