Announcements, information and updates from CWAG Members and Associates
May 24, 2018
Registration is now OPEN to all!
Arizona Attorney General and CWAG Chair Mark Brnovich, and New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas invite you to the 2018 CWAG Annual Meeting in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico this July 22 to 25, 2018. Join your colleagues as CWAG explores the most pertinent legal issues during the days and spend the evenings enjoying the land of enchantment at our special events. The meeting website includes travel and hotel information to facilitate air and hotel arrangements, speaker details, CLE information and much more.

Registration is now open, and we encourage you to register now to secure your spot before the conference sells out.
  • Early Bird Registration Deadline: Friday, June 11, 2018 at 5:00 pm Pacific time. All registrations received or finalized after this time will be charged the full registration fee.
  • Final Registration Deadline: *Monday, July 9, 2018 at 5:00 pm Pacific time. No registrations will be accepted after this time. *Registration may close earlier if the meeting sells out.
  • No On-Site Registration.

The CWAG host hotel Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa is sold out on Tuesday and Wednesday July 24 and 25. If you have been unable to secure a room, the nearest hotel is the Santa Ana Star Casino hotel.
ANNUAL MEETING PREVIEW
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OPIOID CRISIS
Washington State AG Ferguson to Congress: Time to Hold Opioid Companies Accountable
Washington, Ohio leading bipartisan coalition of 39 states urging Congress to pass opioid legislation
May 21, 2018

Attorney General Bob Ferguson and a bipartisan group of 38 other attorneys general called on Congress to pass two bills to help reduce the flow of opioids into the black market. The bills, sponsored by Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell, increase penalties on opioid manufacturers and distributors.

The bipartisan coalition, led by Ferguson and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, sent a letter to the chairs and ranking members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee.

The letter urges the senators to pass S.2456 , the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) 2.0 and S.2440 , the Comprehensive Addiction Reform, Education, and Safety (CARES) Act.

The two bills increase penalties on drug companies that fail to report suspicious transactions and maintain effective controls against diversion of their drugs to the illicit market. The bills would increase the civil penalty from $10,000 to $100,000 per violation for negligence in reporting suspicious activity and double the criminal penalty to $500,000 for companies that do not keep proper reporting systems or fail to report suspicious activity.
North Carolina Attorney General’s Council on Collegiate Opioid Misuse Releases Student Toolkit
May 18, 2018

Attorney General Josh Stein and the members of the Attorney General’s Council on Collegiate Opioid Misuse today released a toolkit to help guide students seeking to combat the opioid epidemic on college campuses. The Attorney General’s Council on Collegiate Opioid Misuse, a delegation of students from colleges and universities across North Carolina who are committed to addressing collegiate opioid misuse, met in-person four times over the 2017-2018 school year. This report is the product of their efforts.
  
The toolkit includes a variety of resources for students seeking to tackle opioid misuse on their campuses. The resources include strategies for building coalitions, raising awareness and effectively communicating messages, implementing preventative measures, and enhancing treatment and recovery resources on campus. 
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein Sues Opioid Manufacturer Insys Over Medicaid Concerns
Lawsuits center on kickbacks and illegal marketing practices to sell a powerful fentanyl painkiller
May 21, 2018
Attorney General Josh Stein moved to hold drug manufacturer Insys Therapeutics, Inc., responsible for its deceptive marketing and sales practices by intervening in two lawsuits accusing Insys of violating the Fair Claims Act. The schemes were used to increase prescriptions of Subsys, a highly potent fentanyl painkiller used to treat cancer. Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times more potent that morphine, and is highly addictive.
 
The complaint alleges that Insys paid kickbacks to entice doctors and nurse practitioners to prescribe Subsys to patients. These kickbacks ranged from speaker payments for phony speeches and jobs for family members and friends to lavish meals and entertainment. The complaint also alleges that Insys employees pushed prescribers to prescribe Subsys for patients who were not diagnosed with cancer, and lied to insurance companies about patient diagnoses to obtain Medicare and TRICARE reimbursements for Subsys prescriptions.
CREDIT FREEZE
New Law Makes Protecting Credit Easier For Utahns
Credit Freezes Now Free And Available Through Apps
May 18, 2018

The Utah Attorney General’s office and Department of Commerce are alerting consumers to the benefits of a new law that went into effect May 8 th . House Bill 45, sponsored by Rep. Jim Dunnigan and Sen. Todd Weiler, amended the Utah Consumer Credit Protection Act making it easier for Utahns to use credit report security freezes.

“This new law will allow consumers to freeze their credit without paying $10 per credit reporting company and another $10 to thaw,” said Rep. Dunningan. In addition to the removal of fees, the law allows for changes to be made using apps developed by the credit reporting companies as opposed to certified mail. “As the credit bureaus offer freezing and thawing via an app, they are required to honor the request within 15 minutes. This gives the consumer almost real-time ability to protect their credit.”
WATER LAWSUIT
AG Balderas Files Counterclaims & Answers in Texas v. New Mexico Water Lawsuit
May 23, 2018
 
Attorney General Hector Balderas announced he’s filed counterclaims and answers to Texas and the U.S. government in the Texas v. New Mexico water lawsuit making it clear that New Mexico’s traditionally underrepresented populations have been taken advantage of for decades by the parties. Balderas, raised in rural New Mexico, understands that this case is about protecting working New Mexicans and small businesses, like our farmers and ranchers, to ensure the water they own is not unjustly taken away. Balderas has assembled a team of experts to fight on behalf of New Mexicans using the latest science, best evidence and new joint strategy to protect New Mexico’s working families, cultural way of life, and overall economy. Now that the last action initiated by the King administration has been adjudicated by the U.S. Supreme Court, Balderas is able to execute his new legal strategy.

“Our legal strategy will hold Texas and the federal government accountable for the significant amount of precious water being misappropriated that rightfully belongs to New Mexico’s working families and small businesses, and for the federal government not using proper accounting and failing to ensure reasonable water delivery improvements,” said Attorney General Balderas. “Using the best science, technology and evidence-based strategy, we will protect our traditionally underserved and culturally diverse population and protect against those interests that threaten our citizens and businesses.” 
HATE CRIMES

AG Rosenblum Announces Task Force on Hate Crimes
May 23, 2018

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced the members of an Attorney General’s task force that will study hate-motivated crimes. The task force was created between legislative sessions to review existing legal protections for victims of hate crimes and to make proposals to the legislature for strengthening Oregon’s laws. The task force will also look into whether law enforcement have the tools they need to investigate and combat these despicable behaviors. 
 
“Sadly, hate-motivated crimes are a growing phenomenon throughout Oregon. Our task force will review current laws and make proposals to strengthen our ability to support victims and bring perpetrators of these vile acts to account. Nobody should feel unsafe, or unwelcome, anywhere in our state,” said AG Rosenblum. “Oregon's laws governing hate crimes would benefit by a full review and may need to be updated. I’m very pleased with the group we have assembled for this task force, which will be led by my legislative policy director, Aaron Knott, and brings together diverse community perspectives.”
AG ELECTION TRACKER
Follow the 31 AG Races in 2018 on this Interactive Website
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.
CWAG | INFO@CWAGWEB.ORG | (916) 210-7640 | WWW.CWAGWEB.ORG