A U.S. magistrate judge has declared unconstitutional two Montana laws that sought to prevent the closure of a coal-fired power plant by subjecting its out-of-state owners to steep fines if they wouldn’t pay long-term maintenance and operating costs.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto said the state measures violated free commerce provisions in the U.S. Constitution and federal laws intended to keep states from interfering in private agreements, The Billings Gazette reported.
