Gov. Scott Walker issues executive order to block power plan

MADISON — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has issued an executive order prohibiting state agencies from working to comply with President Barack Obama's sweeping plan to address climate change.

Walker's order Monday comes a week after a divided U.S. Supreme Court agreed to halt enforcement of the regulations that would reduce carbon dioxide emissions at power plants, giving legal challenges time to play out.

The Republican governor says the Supreme Court validated his concerns that Obama's plan, called the Clean Power Plan, was an overreach that would saddle Wisconsin ratepayers and manufacturers with high costs.

The court's move was a victory for dozens of mostly Republican-led states — including Wisconsin — that challenged the plan. Many depend on economic activity tied to fossil fuels.

An appeals court will hear arguments in June.