Announcements, information & updates from the Attorney General Alliance Members and Associates
October 7, 2022
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Western Attorneys General Litigation Action Committee will be hosting a meeting on October 17-18, 2022 for the Attorneys General and Staff that are members of the CWAG/WAGLAC Committee. In addition to the roundtable discussion of natural resource, environmental, and Indian law cases, there will be a legal seminar that Attorneys General and staff are welcome to attend virtually. The registration link is below.
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Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron led a coalition of 21 states in filing an amicus brief before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit supporting 18 military service members’ religious liberty rights to be granted an exemption from the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The 18 Airmen have asked the Sixth Circuit to uphold a ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, which prevented the Air Force from disciplining or terminating them for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine because of sincerely held religious beliefs. In the amicus brief, led by Attorney General Cameron, the coalition argues that the Free Exercise Clause and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act apply in military settings and that the lower court’s ruling does not improperly infringe on military decision-making.
Attorney General Cameron led the brief and was joined by attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
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California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, and New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that they are leading a coalition of 22 attorneys general in a comment letter supporting the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed rule strengthening anti-discrimination protections under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The proposed rule would implement Section 1557 of the ACA, which prohibits discrimination in federal healthcare programs, benefits, and services, and strengthen protections for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with limited English proficiency, and those with disabilities.
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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is leading a coalition of 20 states in filing a Public Comment in response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ proposed regulation related to Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Tennessee and the coalition states have a strong interest in the interpretation and enforcement of Section 1557 due to its broad implications and effects on healthcare in Tennessee.
The proposed regulation ignores the text of the relevant statute and relies on judicial precedent that does not support the proposed changes in law. The proposed regulation fails to address the context of Title IX’s use of the terms “sex” and “sex discrimination.”
Tennessee is joined on the Public Comment by the attorneys general of the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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A bipartisan multistate coalition of attorneys general joined together in filing a lawsuit against two of the world’s largest chemical companies, Syngenta and Corteva, for violations of federal antitrust law. The lawsuit alleges that Syngenta and Corteva used anticompetitive loyalty programs to keep prices higher for certain active ingredients used in common crop protection products, effectively extending the patent protection periods by discouraging generic manufacturers from entering the market. The Federal Trade Commission and the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin joined in on filing the lawsuit. |
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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) committing DOE to a new timetable for updating energy efficiency standards for 20 categories of common consumer products and commercial equipment. The impacted products and equipment range from residential furnaces to laundry machines to electric motors. According to experts’ estimates, updated standards for these products could provide more than $600 billion in total utility bill savings to American families by 2050 and avoid more than 90 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually by 2040.
Attorney General Nessel joins a coalition of 17 states, the District of Columbia, and the City of New York in the agreement, which resolves a complaint the coalition filed against DOE in 2020. The complaint alleged DOE failed to comply with deadlines for updating energy efficiency standards for a range of product categories set by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA).
Joining Attorney General Nessel in the agreement are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia, as well as the City of New York.
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AGA ORC Working Group Co-Chairs Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr recently visited the Home Depot Headquarters.
There was a great discussion on the recent rise in organized retail crime that is harming retailers and consumers across the country.
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California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined California Retailers and the California Retailers Association and law enforcement to discuss the work combating organized retail theft.
Organized retail theft hurts retailers and consumers alike and now these organizations are doubling down to hold criminals who commit these serious, brazen crimes accountable.
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NATURAL DISASTERS - HURRICANE IAN |
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Attorney General Ashley Moody issued a Consumer Alert warning donors about charity scams that may appear as Hurricane Ian recovery efforts continue. The devastation caused by Ian is heartbreaking, and generous Floridians are looking for ways to help those displaced by the storm. Unfortunately, scammers may prey on donors by creating fake charities to steal money intended for those desperately in need.
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Hurricane Ian was a large and deadly, and destructive Category 4 Atlantic hurricane that caused widespread damage across western Cuba and the southeast United States, especially the states of Florida and South Carolina. The ninth named storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.
Ian originated from a tropical wave that was located by the National Hurricane Center east of the Windward Islands on September 19, 2022. It became a high-end Category 4 hurricane early on September 28, 2022
Ian caused catastrophic damage in parts of Southwest Florida, mainly from flooding due to extreme storm surges and rainfall. In particular, the cities of Fort Myers Beach and Naples were impacted strongly. Millions were left without power in the storm's wake, and several inhabitants were forced to take refuge on their roofs. Sanibel suffered major flooding as well and its causeway collapsed. Pine Island in Lee County, Florida also suffered extreme damage and flooding. In total, Hurricane Ian has caused at least 108 fatalities including 3 people in Cuba, 101 in Florida, and 4 in North Carolina as of October 3, according to local officials. This makes Ian the deadliest Florida hurricane since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. As of October 3, about 10,000 people remain unaccounted for.
With amazing Sponsors and the Attorneys General in the AGA community, we see the humanitarian efforts and hard work to assist the hurricane victims supported and helped through their efforts and initiatives as shown below.
*Click on the logos for the articles, press releases, and information.
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We’re proud to spotlight AGA Sponsors NRG Energy and Merck for their recent recognition by the national diversity council as a top employer for Latino leaders. The Council for Latino Workplace Equity (CLWE), an initiative under the National Diversity Council hosted the Seventh Annual National Latino Leadership Conference. The 2022 Top Employer Latino Leaders Awards list honors organizations for their extraordinary and unfailing commitment to Latinos in the workplace and surrounding communities. These companies contribute to creating and promoting a culture where Latino talent is supported and leveraged for organizational success. They demonstrate leadership excellence and high visibility in the Latino community and maintain a record of professional accomplishments. It is a pleasure to see NRG & Merck highlighted for their outstanding contribution to Latinos, especially during Hispanic Heritage month!
The Council for Latino Workplace Equity is a resource and platform to foster workplace equity for Latino talent. It highlights the pertinent issues concerning Latinos in the workplace to advance equal opportunities and incite change within organizations.
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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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