A conservative think tank and a handful of Washington residents are suing Gov. Chris Gregoire over a 2009 executive order aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Associated Press.

The Evergreen Freedom Foundation and six residents from around the state filed the lawsuit today in Thurston County Superior Court. The group says the order is unconstitutional and should be invalidated.

The executive order includes aspects of a climate change bill that the governor aggressively pushed but failed to pass in the 2009 legislative session.

Among other things, it directs the state Department of Ecology to work with large industries to find ways to cut emissions, and calls for plans to be drawn up on how the state’s largest counties can reduce the number of vehicles driven.

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