Announcements, information & updates from the Attorney General Alliance Members and Associates
April 15, 2022
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This convening will bring together a variety of stakeholders shaping the direction of this industry with the State Attorneys General Community. The Cannabis Project Spring Meeting will focus on combatting illicit market activity and understanding social equity programs. |
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This seminar provides the unique opportunity to discuss the emerging challenges faced by brand owners and government agencies in combating illicit trade and counterfeiting. This seminar will offer the chance to share strategies, examples and innovative new ideas through interactive panel discussions, case studies and presentations. |
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The US/Mexico Binational Attorney General Summit will provide a forum for state Attorneys General from the United States and Mexico, as well as federal agencies and private sector partners to share experiences and advances in border issues. The Summit provides a forum for collaboration at the state, national and binational level on diverse topics such as human trafficking, intellectual property, cannabis, money laundering, asset forfeiture, and cybercrime in the U.S. and Mexico.
Each of the state Attorneys General from Mexico and the United States will be able to participate in this binational exchange. If you are interested in joining us for the US/Mexico Binational Attorney General Summit please reach out to Ale Stephens at astephens@agalliance.org.
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Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser asks Colorado Supreme Court to review a case that threatens to upend how water and access to Colorado rivers have been managed since Colorado joined the Union. The federal government has given title to its non-navigable riverbeds to streamside landowners through federal patents.
Over the last several decades, state and federal partners have worked together to increase fishing access, delineate private land boundaries, and increase public education about public access to the river. In this case, someone tried to fish on a segment of the Arkansas River that is on private property and not open to the public. After trespassing and being refused access by the property owners, he sued the landowners, claiming that a court should order that the riverbed belonged to the state and, as a member of the public, he had a right to use it.
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Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha testifies in support of legislation currently before the General Assembly that will increase penalties for wage theft and misclassification, joining state labor leaders in a push to protect Rhode Island workers, taxpayers, and business owners.
The bill, H 7677, introduced at the request of the Attorney General, proposes to reclassify knowing or willful instances of wage theft over $1,500 from a misdemeanor to a felony. The bill also proposes to reclassify knowing or willful instances of worker misclassification from a misdemeanor to a felony.
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“Employers who fail to pay workers their hard-earned wages or misclassify them as independent contractors not only cheat their workers but also cheat Rhode Island taxpayers. Currently, our state does not treat this type of criminal conduct as seriously as it should. A person can steal a television worth over $1,500 and it’s a felony, but if a person steals a worker’s wages in any amount, it’s a misdemeanor. That is why this bill is important – the punishment should fit the crime and ultimately deter this conduct.”
-Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha
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Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announces that electronic cigarette makers must pay $22.5 million to resolve Ferguson’s lawsuit against the e-cigarette company. The lawsuit asserts that the e-cigarette maker violated the law when it designed and marketed its products to appeal to underage consumers and deceived consumers about the addictiveness of its product. In addition to the payment, they must stop its unlawful conduct and implement a slate of reforms.
These reforms are legally enforceable. If these terms are violated, the Washington Attorney General’s Office can go directly to King County Superior Court to enforce them. Under the consent decree, filed in King County Superior Court, they are ordered to pay the $22.5 million total over the next 4 years.
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Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan announces that his office has reached settlements with two different online sellers of electronic cigarettes for violations of Vermont's Delivery Sales Ban and Vermont's Consumer Protection Act. Under the settlements, the companies resolved claims that they sold electronic cigarettes, e-liquids, or other tobacco paraphernalia to individual consumers. As of July 1, 2019, it is illegal to sell electronic cigarettes and related "vaping" products over the internet to individual Vermont consumers. In total, the companies will pay $215,500 in civil penalties to the State of Vermont. Since December 2020, the Attorney General's Office has reached settlements with twenty-three online sellers of electronic cigarettes, totaling $833,750 in civil penalties. Under the terms of the settlement agreements, in addition to paying civil penalties, the companies are required to notify Vermont consumers that they do not ship to individual consumers in Vermont.
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"The law is clear: It is illegal to sell electronic cigarettes and related 'vaping' products over the internet to individual Vermont consumers. My office will continue to bring enforcement actions against any retailer who ships vaping products to individual Vermonters."
-Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan
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Illinois Attorney General and AGA ORC Working Group Co-Chair Kwame Raoul supports the passage of bill to combat organized retail theft. A measure aimed at addressing high-profile “smash-and-grabs” and other organized retail crime was among the scores of bills passed during the General Assembly’s final sprint toward its Saturday morning adjournment. Its backers, among them the Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, called it one of the strongest actions in the nation to define organized retail crime while increasing prosecutors’ ability to hold criminals accountable. House Bill 1091, which will still need approval from the governor to become law, defines “organized retail crime” in state law with the intent of reducing offenders’ ability to avoid prosecution.
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Amazon to Award 250 High School Seniors From Underserved Communities College Scholarships to Study Computer Science. Through its Amazon Future Engineer program, the company will award $10 million in $40,000 scholarships for each selected student, and will also offer them a paid internship at Amazon. |
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DoorDash Launches DashPass for Students Membership Plan. The reality of life as a college student means constantly being on the go, whether on campus or off. Now there is an ultimate life hack for all of this! DoorDash is excited to launch DashPass for Students, the new membership plan for college students that unlocks the best of the local community both on and off-campus. For just $4.99 a month, DashPass for Students is the most convenient and wallet-friendly option for students to get whatever they desire delivered on-demand from thousands of eligible restaurants, convenience and grocery stores, and other retailers on DoorDash.
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Missed our live programs? No problem! Follow the button below to visit our Virtual Seminar Library for access to all recordings.
Do you have a webinar topic suggestion? We want to hear from you! Please email ideas to Patricia Salazar at PSalazar@AGAlliance.org.
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CWAG Executive Committee
AG Alliance Co-Chairs
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Attorney General Alliance 5050 | Laguna Blvd., Ste. 112-323 | Elk Grove, CA 95758
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