Announcements, information & updates from the Attorney General Alliance Members and Associates
April 22, 2022
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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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Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch and New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas led twenty-five attorneys general in sending a letter to GoFundMe expressing concern over the ambiguity and adequacy of GoFundMe’s terms of service. GoFundMe has claimed the ability to redirect donations made by users for activities or causes with which the company does not agree, but its terms of service are vague with respect to when it may stop, redirect, or reimburse a users’ donations without their express authorization. Before an online platform like GoFundMe can redirect funds or decide which fundraisers to block or takedown based on partisanship or its own political preferences, it must clearly and directly disclose to consumers that it will do so.
Along with Lousiana, Mississippi and New Mexico the letter was signed by the Attorneys General of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a deceptive trade practices lawsuit against the online used vehicle dealer Vroom Automotive LLC and Vroom Inc., which also sells cars to Texas consumers under the name Texas Direct Auto. The lawsuit alleges that Vroom has misrepresented and failed to disclose significant delays in transferring clear title and obtaining vehicle registrations, burdening thousands of consumers. The State also alleges that Vroom has misrepresented and failed to disclose vehicle history and condition and terms of financing and approval—all violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Consumer Protection Act. According to the lawsuit, Vroom has not managed its growth effectively, leading to inadequate systems and procedures that have harmed Texas consumers. Over the last three years, consumers have filed over 5,000 complaints with both the Better Business Bureau and the Office of the Attorney General against Vroom and Texas Direct Auto.
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A coalition of 23 Attorneys General, led by Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, filed an amicus brief in Dunn v Austin in support of Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Dunn’s challenge regarding the current Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate on men and women serving in the armed forces. LTC Dunn challenges the Administration’s denial of accommodation for his religious objection to obtaining the vaccine. He has filed an emergency application to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking an injunction to prevent the U.S. Air Force from disciplining or discharging him for being unvaccinated.
Led by Mississippi, the amicus brief was filed by the Attorneys General of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
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Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor filed an amicus brief asking the United States Supreme Court to consider Alaska’s unique interests as it reconsiders the extent of federal authority under the Clean Water Act.
The Clean Water Act prohibits discharges to “navigable waters,” which it defines as “waters of the United States.” In Sackett v. EPA, the Supreme Court is considering how to determine whether a wetland is a “water of the United States,” a significant issue for Alaska given that almost half of Alaska’s landmass has been estimated to be wetlands. With more land, water, and wetlands than any other state—and a unique need to build infrastructure and develop and protect its resources.
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Today, Lowe’s announced a new education program to make it easier for associates to grow their careers. The new benefit gives full-time and part-time associates access to 100 percent debt-free programs, unlocking opportunities for over 300,000 eligible associates to pursue their educational and career aspirations.
In partnership with Guild, Lowe's is offering over 50 academic programs across 23 universities and learning providers in Guild's Learning Marketplace, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The free programs are designed to help associates excel in their jobs today and build toward the careers of tomorrow within Lowe's, including pathways into supply chain, logistics, data analytics, cybersecurity, technology and more.
Lowe's new education program offers debt-free tuition assistance to associates seeking to earn undergraduate certificates or degrees, or enroll in English language learning, high school completion or college prep programs. The education benefit is designed for busy working adults. Programs include flexible classes that fit different schedules, fully covered textbooks and course fees, and one-on-one support from Guild coaches. Lowe's will continue to provide direct payments of up to $2,500 annually in tuition assistance for more than 165 additional academic programs serving associates to reduce the burden of up-front, costly tuition payments.
For 20 years, Lowe's has partnered with top scholarship organizations to contribute to student success. Recently, Lowe's announced a $9 million investment in select schools and scholarship programs to provide traditionally underserved students with greater access to higher education and pathways to future Lowe's employment.
Additionally, Lowe’s offers a long-standing tuition reimbursement program, which reimburses associates up to $2,500 annually in education expenses. Lowe’s also continues to offer Track to the Trades, a company-funded pre-apprentice certificate program to help up to 4,000 part-time and full-time associates pursue careers in the skilled trades each year. Lowe’s covers 100 percent of tuition for Track to the Trade diplomas in HVAC, solar, commercial HVAC, appliance repair, multi-family facilities management, electrical and plumbing. This program supports Lowe’s commitment to building a future generation of skilled trades professionals through the Generation T movement.
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Since 2017, April has been designated “Second Chance Month” – shining a spotlight on the belief that the best strategy to keep individuals out of jail after they serve their time is to give them opportunities to fully reintegrate into society. These forgotten candidates deserve more than 30 days on the calendar. At ViaPath, they encourage successful re-entry not only through life skills and job placement programs for the incarcerated, but through their own hiring of the formerly incarcerated. They are partnering with other organizations around the country to magnify their impact.
ViaPath sees the issue from every angle, as they help transform corrections facilities and processes in the US and abroad, while working to decrease the chances that individuals will end up re-incarcerated. This is done through education, training, and technology.
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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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