Kansas joins a lawsuit challenging a perceived overreach of new federal rules that broadly expand the definition of "critical habitat" for endangered species."

A news release from the Kansas Attorney General's Office explains that the new rules effectively declare than any area currently unoccupied by an endangered species, but could potentially host an endangered species, could be classified as a critical habitat and be subject to stringent regulations.

The lawsuit says that under the expanded rules, the federal government "could designate entire states, or even multiple states as habitat for certain species."

“This is yet another example of a federal agency regulating without regard to the interests of states and landowners,” Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says. “Even as the current presidential administration winds down, we remain vigilant for new, illegal regulations that continue to pour out of Washington.”

Kansas is one of 18 states joining in the lawsuit. The others include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.