Announcements, information and updates from CWAG Members and Associates
April 12, 2018
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Michigan AG Schuette Joins Trump for Signing of New Federal Law to Fight Human Trafficking
April 11, 2018
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette joined President Donald Trump in the Oval Office for the signing of a new federal law that allows state attorneys general to sue and charge advertisers who allow advertisements for human trafficking.
Titled Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act or “FOSTA,” the new law will give state attorneys general, county prosecutors, and sex trafficking survivors an easier path to legal action against websites promoting advertisements for commercial sex encounters, such as recently shuttered Backpage.com. Anti-human trafficking advocates have long pointed to these websites as profiting from sex trafficking, including the sex trafficking of children.
Schuette today praised President Trump’s actions, calling the new law an important step forward in the fight against human trafficking and websites that participate in the buying and selling of children and other trafficking victims. Under FOSTA, state and local prosecutors can now charge website operators for “promotion or facilitation of prostitution” in state court.
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Investigation by Texas AG Paxton’s Office Helps Shut Down Backpage.com
April 9, 2018
In his office’s continued push to end human trafficking in Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that Backpage.com, the largest online sex trafficking marketplace in the world, is permanently shut down. Backpage operated in 97 countries and 943 locations worldwide.
The seizure and takedown of the Backpage website was accomplished through a collaborative law enforcement effort involving Attorney General Paxton’s office, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Arizona and Central District of California, and the California attorney general’s office.
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Judge: Ferguson’s suit against one of the nation’s largest opioid manufacturers will go forward
King County judge rejects Purdue Pharma’s attempt to dismiss lawsuit
April 6, 2018
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s
lawsuit
against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma over the state’s devastating opioid epidemic will continue, a King County judge ruled today, rejecting Purdue’s request to dismiss the case.
Ferguson’s lawsuit accuses Purdue, one of the nation’s largest opioid manufacturers, of fueling the opioid epidemic in Washington state, embarking on a massive deceptive marketing campaign and convincing doctors and the public that their drugs are effective for treating chronic pain and have a low risk of addiction, contrary to overwhelming evidence.
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2018 CWAG Chair's Initiative
May 3-4, 2018
Scottsdale, Arizona
Chair’s Initiative Registration is Now Closed
Due to overwhelming response to this year’s Chair’s Initiative, CWAG has closed registration for the event. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming CWAG meeting!
Thank you for your continued support of CWAG and CWAG Chair, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich. We look forward to seeing you all in May!
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NATIONAL INSTANT CRIMINAL
BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM
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Texas Governor Abbott and AG Paxton Call For Review of State, Local Reporting to National Instant Criminal Background Check System
April 11, 2018
Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton today sent a letter to eight state criminal justice agencies and associations, urging them to review their processes for reporting criminal history to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The FBI administers NICS, which is intended to identify people prohibited under federal law from purchasing firearms from a licensed dealer.
A recent study found that only 68 percent of arrests in state criminal history files nationwide were reported to NICS. Texas’ overall rate is 84 percent, with a 95 percent reporting rate for arrests within the past five years compared to a nationwide average of only 65 percent.
Federal law disallows the transfer of firearms to any person who is:
- A fugitive from justice
- Uses or is addicted to controlled substances
- Has been adjudicated “mentally defective” or committed to mental institutions
- Subject to a domestic violence restraining order
- Convicted of a misdemeanor crime or domestic violence, or is under indictment
All criminal justice agencies in Texas, including court clerks, are required to report information identifying people ineligible to possess firearms to the Department of Public Safety through the Criminal Justice Information System pursuant to the state Code of Criminal Procedure. That information is provided to the NICS database.
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AZ Supreme Court Rules 7-0 in Favor of State in MCCCD In-State Tuition Case
April 9, 2018
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced today that the Arizona Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in favor of the State in the Maricopa County Community College in-state tuition case. In a 7-0 decision, the Court agreed with a previous 3-0 Court of Appeals decision that existing federal and state law do not allow Maricopa County Community College District to grant in-state tuition benefits to DACA recipients.
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Oklahoma Attorney General Hunter Joins Olympic Gold Medalist Summer Sanders, Responsibility.org to Discourage Underage Drinking
PSA brings attention to Alcohol Responsibility Month, provides resources
April 6, 2018
Attorney General Mike Hunter has teamed up with Olympic Gold Medalist Summer Sanders and Responsibility.org’s Ask, Listen, Learn campaign to raise awareness and discourage underage drinking during April, which is Alcohol Responsibility Month.
As part of the month-long effort, Attorney General Hunter and Sanders filmed a PSA encouraging parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of underage drinking and point to helpful resources parents can use to begin the discussion.
Attorney General Hunter said he is honored to join the effort to help raise awareness about the dangers of underage drinking and help Oklahoma parents who may be struggling to take the first steps in starting conversations with their kid.
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PREGNANT EMPLOYEES' RIGHTS
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Washington AG Ferguson issues bilingual guide for pregnant employees' civil rights
Guide outlines required accommodations for pregnant employees
April 6, 2018
Attorney General Bob Ferguson released a guide for employees and employers on specific civil rights that pregnant employees have under Washington state law.
The guide, available as a flyer in both
Spanish
and
English
, lays out the accommodations an employer must provide under a law passed in 2017 for employers with 15 or more employees.
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Hawaii Attorney General Names First Deputy And Special Assistan
t
April 11, 2018
Hawaii Attorney General Russell A. Suzuki announces the appointment of Dana O. Viola as the First Deputy Attorney General and James W. Walther as the Special Assistant to the Attorney General. Suzuki was recently appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate on March 29, 2018.
First Deputy Attorney General Dana Viola has over 25 years of experience, the majority of which she has spent in government service with the Department of the Attorney General and the City and County of Honolulu Corporation Counsel. Her focus has been on environmental law, representing the State Department of Health’s Environmental Management Division and the County’s Department of Environmental Services. She also served as the Special Assistant to three Attorneys General.
Special Assistant James Walther has served as a Deputy Attorney General since 1997, starting with the Family Law Division representing the State in child protective services cases. More recently he was assigned to the Health and Human Services Division advising the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health on various programs such as TANF, child care, and medical cannabis. He also worked the past several years with the prior Special Assistants on media activities, legislative matters, and special projects.
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Former California State AG Dan Lungren Joins King & Spalding
April 10, 2018
King & Spalding is pleased to announce that former U.S. Congressman and California State Attorney General Daniel E. Lungren has joined the firm as senior counsel in the firm’s Government Matters group, which includes the firm’s State Attorney General, Government and Congressional Investigations, and Government Advocacy and Public Policy practices.
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Follow the 31 AG Races in 2018 on this Interactive Website
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A significant number of states, 30 and the District of Columbia, have contests for the Office of Attorney General. Cozen O’Connor’s State Attorneys General Practice hosts an interactive map for those interested in following the races throughout the country. The State AG Election Tracker includes state-by-state AG candidate snapshots, filing deadlines and primary election dates; daily news, insights, polling and fundraising data; and the ability to sign up for real-time election-night updates via text and email. Access is free.
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