Announcements, information and updates from The AG Alliance Members and Associates
September 12, 2019
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CWAG-AGA CYBERSECURITY WORKING GROUP
JOIN TODAY!
Contact Andrea Friedman by email at
AFriedman@AGAlliance.org
for more details and to attend our next meeting! RSVP and secure your spot!
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Upcoming: CWAG-AGA Cybersecurity Working Group
Friday, November 15, 2019
JW Marriott Camelback in Scottsdale, Arizona
Current topics on this year’s agenda:
Securing the Cloud
Anti-fraud Solutions and Data Privacy
How Lawyers Proceed After a Data Breach
International Standards for Data Security Laws
Gaming Industry Data Protection and IP Enforcement
Cyber Issues and AG Authority
This VIP Working Group session will run from 2-5pm with a cocktail reception and dinner to follow. Please email
Andrea Friedman to provide a topic, panelist, or with any questions. We look forward to seeing you in Arizona!
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Articles on topics relevant to the work of Attorneys General.
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Note: Subscription may be required for access
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DRUG PRICING
Kaiser Health News
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ATTORNEY GENERAL POWERS & DUTIES
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Mark Brnovich is the 'People's Lawyer,' and the Arizona Supreme Court Should Say So
AZ Central, USA Today
September 8, 2019
Attorney General Mark Brnovich sued the Arizona Board of Regents alleging that the board was not following the Arizona Constitution’s mandate that higher education tuition be as “nearly free as possible.” The AG argued that by blessing an almost 300% increase in tuition over the past several years, the board violated the Constitution.
The Arizona attorney general plays an important role in representing state agencies and serving as the state’s chief legal officer. But there is much more. The Attorney General is entrusted with safeguarding the legal interests of the public in antitrust, consumer fraud as well criminal matters. The Arizona Supreme Court will soon have an opportunity to affirm the attorney general’s role as the "people’s lawyer." The court can correct the mistake of 1960 and keep our attorney general on the job protecting the public.
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Purdue Pharma Reaches Tentative Deal To Settle Thousands Of Opioid Lawsuits
NPR
September 11, 2019
Purdue Pharma, the maker of the opioid drug Oxycontin, has reached a tentative deal worth billions of dollars that would resolve thousands of lawsuits brought by municipal and state governments who sued the company for allegedly helping to fuel the opioid crisis.
The pending settlement likely means Purdue will avoid going to trial in the sprawling and complicated case involving some 2,300 local governments across 23 states.
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Michigan Attorney General Nessel Files Amicus Brief Supporting a State’s Ability to Coordinate Opioid Litigation
September 6, 2019
In support of efforts to address the opioid crisis, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a motion and amicus brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, supporting the state of Ohio’s request to halt trials that would address legal claims filed by two Ohio counties, Cuyahoga and Summit, against opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma. The two county cases are part of the sprawling multi-district litigation pending in the Northern District of Ohio.
Joined by 13 other Attorneys General (Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas), this brief supports Ohio’s efforts to prevent the trials from proceeding based on the concern that it may prejudice the ability of the state to manage litigation to obtain relief on behalf of the entire state, rather than simply the particular counties named in the suit.
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New Mexico Attorney General Balderas Files Lawsuit Against Purdue Pharma's Sackler Family for Fueling Opioid Crisis
September 20, 2019
Attorney General Balderas took yet another step in holding accountable those responsible for New Mexico's opioid epidemic. In a lawsuit filed today, Attorney General Balderas brought action against the Sackler family for masterminding illegal and deceptive practices which caused millions of pills to come flooding into New Mexico. These eight members of the billionaire Sackler Family have owned and controlled Purdue for decades. Until recently, the Sacklers controlled a majority of the seats on the company's board and used the company to execute illegal and deadly schemes which helped lead New Mexico and the rest of the nation into the epidemic we are currently facing, all the while paying themselves billions.
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A&E Premieres New Docuseries Narrated by Utah Attorney General Reyes
TV News Desk
July 16, 2019
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes narrates the new docuseries, "Addiction Unplugged," that premiered on A&E in August. Reyes is a national expert in combatting the opioid epidemic and a perfect selection for the show's narrator and expert commentator.
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Utah Attorney General Reyes Statement on Aaron Shamo Conviction
August 29, 2019
Following the announcement of the conviction of Aaron Shamo, Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes released the following statement:
We may never know the full extent of the lives lost or the families harmed by Aaron Shamo’s deadly enterprise as a global drug dealer...
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Arizona Attorney General Brnovich FinTech Sandbox Updates: New Improvements to Sandbox Law and Announcement of Involvement in ACFIN
September 10, 2019
Attorney General Mark Brnovich highlighted several improvements to Arizona’s FinTech Sandbox program that are now in effect as the result of legislation passed this past session. Brnovich also announced Arizona’s participation in the American Consumer Financial Innovation Network, an initiative of state and federal regulators spearheaded by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau designed to facilitate consumer-beneficial innovation in markets for consumer financial products and services.
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Nebraska Attorney General Peterson Joins 50 Attorneys General in Google Multistate Antitrust Investigation
September 10, 2019
Attorney General Doug Peterson announced that Nebraska is joining 50 attorneys general in a multistate, bipartisan investigation of tech giant Google’s business practices in accordance with state and federal antitrust laws.
The bipartisan coalition announced plans to investigate Google’s overarching control of online advertising markets and search traffic that may have led to anticompetitive behavior that harms consumers. Legal experts from each state will work in cooperation with federal authorities to assess competitive conditions for online services and ensure that Americans have access to free digital markets.
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Colorado Leading a Bipartisan Team of Attorneys General Investigating Facebook for Possible Anti-Trust Violations
September 6, 2019
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser released the following statement regarding the investigation into Facebook:
Colorado is on the leadership team of a bipartisan coalition of Attorneys General investigating Facebook for possible antitrust violations. This investigation is focused on whether Facebook has engaged in anticompetitive behavior, endangered consumer data, and put the privacy of users at risk.
The leadership team investigating Facebook are the attorneys general of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and the District of Columbia
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Nevada Attorney General Ford’s Office Reminds Nevadans of their Rights Following Eye Examinations
September 6, 2019
Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford and his Bureau of Consumer Protection remind Nevadans of their right to obtain a prescription for either glasses or contact lenses following an eye examination. The federal Eyeglass Rule and Contact Lens Rule require the eye doctor or lawful prescriber to provide a prescription to patients immediately after the eye examination. The patient is not required to purchase eyewear in order to receive the prescription. Instead, the patient is able to take the prescription from the doctor that provided the eye examination and purchase eyewear at a retailer of their choosing.
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Florida Attorney General Moody Video Consumer Alert: Beware of Bahamas Charity Scams
September 5, 2019
Attorney General Ashley Moody issued a Consumer Alert warning Floridians about potential charity scams exploiting Bahamian-recovery efforts. Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas on Sept. 1st as a Category 5 hurricane. It carried maximum sustained winds of 180 mph and storm surge of up to 23 feet above normal tide levels, causing significant damage to infrastructure, knocking out electricity, leaving many people displaced and causing unknown numbers of injuries and deaths. Relief efforts are under way to assist the victims of this disaster. However, Attorney General Moody is warning Floridians to be on the look out for fraudulent relief charities or crowdsourcing campaigns that could be scams.
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CFPB Launches Innovation Network and Issues Policies to Facilitate Compliance and Promote Innovation
September 10, 2019
This week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau), working in partnership with multiple state regulators, launched the American Consumer Financial Innovation Network (ACFIN), a network to enhance coordination among federal and state regulators to facilitate financial innovation.
The CFPB also issued three new policies to promote innovation and facilitate compliance: the No-Action Letter (NAL) Policy, Trial Disclosure Program (TDP) Policy, and Compliance Assistance Sandbox (CAS) Policy. The Bureau proposed the policies in 2018 and received public comments on each from a diverse array of stakeholders.
Both press releases can be found below:
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NEW MEXICO: OPERATION STEEL NET
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New Mexico Attorney General Balderas Announces Results of Phase 1 of New Statewide Violent Fugitive Round Up “Operation Steel Net”; Ongoing Operation Targets Dangerous Criminals Accused of Violent Crimes and Sex Offenses in Rural & Urban Communities
September 5, 2019
Attorney General Hector Balderas, in coordination with Seventh Judicial District Attorney Clint Wellborn, Ninth Judicial District Attorney Andrea Reeb, Curry County Sheriff’s Office, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office, Socorro County Sheriff’s Office, Region V Drug Task Force, Region IV Probation and Parole, Portales Police Department, and Clovis Police Department, conducted phase I of Operation Steel Net. This operation was a coordinated law-enforcement effort to find and arrest violent offenders with outstanding warrants in rural and urban communities in Curry County, Roosevelt County, and Socorro County. This operation is a result of months worth of intelligence gathering, analysis, and coordination with local law enforcement to execute Operation Steel Net on September 4 – 5, 2019. This operation resulted in 23 successful arrests of violent criminals wanted by the Court.
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Utah Attorney General Reyes Unveils Optional Gun Safety Program Aimed at Preventing Accidental School Shootings
USA Today
August 30, 2019
The Utah Attorney General’s Office, Utah State Legislature, and Utah State Board of Education announced the launch of L.E.T.S. Stay Safe – a firearm safety and violence prevention program. L.E.T.S. stands for Leave it alone, Educate others, Tell an adult, and Share the threat.
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes said at a news conference that the program avoids the politically sensitive issues of gun policy and instead acknowledges that many children are bound to come across guns in a state where an estimated 4 in 10 households have a firearm.
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North Carolina State Crime Laboratory Celebrates National Forensic Science Week
September 6, 2019
The North Carolina State Crime Laboratory will host open houses on Tuesday, Sept. 10, and Thursday, Sept. 12, to showcase the vital role of forensic science in the criminal justice system as part of National Forensic Science Week. North Carolinians of all ages are welcome to attend the open houses, which will feature tours of the lab and science activities.
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Michigan Attorney General Nessel to Intervene in Lawsuit to Ensure Workers Get Past-Due Wages
September 5, 2019
After receiving dozens of complaints of payroll fraud from workers who claim they have not been paid, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a motion to intervene and a motion for a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit against metro-Detroit based umbrella company Epicurean Group in Oakland County Circuit Court. The legal move comes just one week after Nessel charged a Lansing business owner with 13 felonies for alleged payroll fraud.
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Washington Attorney General Ferguson’s Initiative Ends No-Poach Clauses At Eight More Corporate Chains With More Than 2,300 Locations Nationwide
September 9, 2019
Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced the latest progress in his initiative to end the use of no-poach clauses nationwide. In order to avoid a lawsuit, eight additional corporate chains eliminated their no-poach practices nationwide by entering into legally enforceable agreements to remove the clauses from franchise contracts. The eight chains have 62 locations in Washington and more than 2,300 locations nationwide. This brings the total number of corporate chains that have signed legally binding agreements with Ferguson to eliminate no-poach clauses from all their franchise agreements nationwide to 75, representing nearly 140,000 locations.
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HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION
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Utah Attorney General’s Office Obtains Convictions Against Human Trafficker
August 30, 2019
A Third District Court Jury convicted James Savage Brown on multiple felony charges-including aggravated human trafficking-against two women. The Utah Attorney General’s office SECURE Section investigated and prosecuted the case and worked for more than a year to obtain the conviction.
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Washington Attorney General Ferguson Launches Hate Crime Working Group, Convenes First Meeting
September 6, 2019
The meeting will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is open to the public. The meeting will be held in the AGO’s Seattle location at 800 Fifth Ave. in the Chief Sealth Conference Room on the 20th floor.
The working group was created in the 2019 legislative session with the goal of developing strategies to raise awareness of hate crimes and enhance law enforcement and the public’s responses to hate crimes and incidents. The Attorney General’s Office testified in support of the bill, which Representative Javier Valdez, D-Seattle, sponsored.
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Florida Attorney General Moody Recognizes National Suicide Prevention Week
September 10, 2019
Attorney General Ashley Moody is recognizing National Suicide Prevention Week through her role as Attorney General by encouraging mental health awareness within law enforcement agencies. National Suicide Prevention Week is Sept. 8-14. According to BlueHelp.org, 167 active and retired law enforcement officers nationwide committed suicide in 2018. This summer, Attorney General Moody hosted Mental Health and Criminal Justice Round Tables across the state. The first round table discussion focused on mental health in Florida’s law enforcement ranks.
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Former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan Joins Kirkland & Ellis
September 11, 2019
Kirkland & Ellis LLP is pleased to announce that former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has joined the Firm’s Chicago and Washington, D.C., offices as a litigation partner. Ms. Madigan draws on more than 25 years of experience at the highest levels of complex civil litigation and government service. She served as Illinois Attorney General for 16 years, the longest serving Attorney General in Illinois and the longest serving female Attorney General in the country.
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4th Annual Attorney General Rosenblum’s Elder Abuse
Conference – October 28-30, 2019
Attorney General Rosenblum's Fourth Annual Elder Abuse Conference will take place at the Salishan Spa & Resort in Gleneden Beach, Oregon starting with an optional happy hour on Monday, October 28, 2019 at 4:00 PM and ending on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 12:00 PM (PST).
This a comprehensive conference for law enforcement, district attorneys, deputy district attorneys, U.S. Attorneys, Adult Protective Services, medical professionals, and individuals employed by federal, state or local governments.* Attendees will receive:
- More than 10 hours of in-depth training from experts (CLE, CEU and DPSST credits are pending)
- Extensive networking and collaboration opportunities
- Two breakfasts
- One lunch
- Snacks and beverages
The cost to attend is $150 a person and does not include lodging. A block of rooms have been reserved at the Salishan Spa & Resort. To reserve a room at the Resort, please visit the
conference website
or contact the Resort directly at 1-800-452-2300.
*If you are NOT a government employee and would like to register for the conference, please contact Ellen Klem at
Ellen.Klem@doj.state.or.us
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CWAG Executive Committee
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Hector Balderas - Wayne Stenehjem -
- Phil Weiser - Mark Brnovich -
AG Alliance Co-Chairs
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Lawrence Wasden - Sean Reyes - Karl Racine
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