Announcements, information & updates from the Attorney General Alliance Members and Associates
October 28, 2021
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Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and New York Attorney General Letitia James issued advisories this past week. These advisories were the outgrowth of multiple meetings AGA convened with AGO staff across the US and a partnership with our sponsor Consumer Brands Association.
The advisories warn the public about the dangers of cannabis edibles and hemp derivatives in packaging designed to look like well-known snack foods and candy. These products are unregulated, illegal, and may be extremely dangerous. These products are deceptively designed to look like standard snack foods and candy, but actually contain high levels of cannabis and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Parents are urged to remain alert against the online sale of these dangerous and misleading products.
Please read more on how the AGA serves a vital role in bringing the public and private sectors together to protect consumers and ensure safe marketplaces.
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In sending today’s petition to the FDA, AG Bonta joins the attorneys general of New York, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. The coalition was led by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
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In August, the attorney general filed a consumer protection action in District Court, alleging that he accepted more than $1,600 from consumers for repair services he failed to provide. The resulting judgment includes a restitution provision requiring Scott to provide refunds to consumers who filed complaints. Scott also must pay $10,000 in civil penalties and reimburse the Office of the Attorney General for fees and costs related to the case.
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In 2017, after investigating numerous complaints that he had taken advance payments from consumers totaling more than $30,000 to do contracting work, but failed to complete the jobs, the Consumer Protection division obtained a civil judgment. Moser was banned from engaging in contracting work or obtaining a contractor’s license for five years and until he had repaid the amounts owed to consumers. The amounts owed to consumers under the 2017 civil judgment remain unpaid.
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During the pandemic, sophisticated fraud rings stole billions of dollars from at least 11 states, including Washington. While multiple states suffered substantial losses, Attorney General Ferguson is the first state attorney general to exercise state asset forfeiture powers to recover stolen funds.
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They filed the brief in National Rifle Association v. Commissioner, Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The lawsuit challenges a provision of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act that generally prohibits the purchase of firearms by individuals under the age of 21.
Joining AG Raoul in filing the brief are the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
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“Many of the public safety challenges we’re seeing in communities across the Commonwealth stem from the drug crisis, and today’s roundtable underscores our commitment to supporting local law enforcement as they confront this scourge,” said Attorney General Cameron. “These men and women are on the frontlines of this fight, and together, we will continue to take steps to stem the tide of this epidemic.”
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U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice employees delivered a check for $350 to Ribbons for a cure on St. Croix. The cancer financial assistance program aims to provide cancer outreach and support in the community through education and awareness initiatives.
Ribbons for a cure, established in April 2017 as a non-profit organization in the U.S. Virgin Islands aims to fully educate the U.S. Virgin Islands population on the signs, symptoms, and risk factors of all types of cancers so that early detection can help save lives. The Financial Assistance Program is available to cancer patients and survivors who have resided in the U.S. Virgin Islands permanently for the past five years.
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This year’s event began with a session about the mission of the newly formed Alabama Anti-Human Trafficking Alliance. Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery. Through force, fraud, and coercion, traffickers push their victims into demeaning forms of abuse, from sexual exploitation to domestic servitude. The Alabama Anti-Human Trafficking Alliance, directs the expertise and resources of state and federal law enforcement agencies and nongovernmental groups, forming a united and powerful front in fighting this scourge on our society.
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In 2020, the National Beer Wholesalers Association launched Distributors Against Human Trafficking to help combat human trafficking in the United States. Working alongside state attorneys general, NBWA created an awareness training video to help the more than 140,000 beer distribution employees in the U.S. recognize and report signs of human trafficking. Beer distributors are uniquely positioned to help fight this heinous crime given their level of access to locations often unseen by the public as they visit approximately 600,000 licensed retail locations across the country. Through the initiative, NBWA has trained over 26,000 beer distribution employees since its launch, already surpassing its goal of training 25,000 employees by the end of 2021.
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Attorney General Alliance Chairman, AG Phil Weiser |
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AG Weiser has made it a priority of his job as Attorney General to work on public health issues, and mental health issues in particular. Over the course of the pandemic, these issues have grown in importance, as so many have struggled with isolation and even despair.
As Attorney General and Chairman of the Attorney General Alliance, he has worked to protect teens and address mental health issues from a number of angles. His office runs the Safe2Tellprogram, which provides students and their families a safe, trusted, and anonymous opportunity to share threats—from kids bringing guns to school to drugs being sold at school to threat of suicide. And with school back in person, Safe2Tell tips are way up—over 100%—and, once again, threats of suicide are the top threat he’s receive. He has also sponsored a teen-to-teen awareness campaign about not suffering in silence and an awareness campaign about the importance of safe gun storage as a way to prevent suicides.
To address teen mental health issues, AG Weiser announced a public-private initiative, Healthy Youth/Strong Colorado, last spring. This program provides funding to suicide prevention programs, after school programs, and outdoor education diversion programs.
We can all do our part to destigmatize conversations about mental health and wellness. By creating space for such conversations, we can save lives. And if you, or someone you know, needs to talk to someone about their mental health, just text START to 741-741 or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor 24/7.
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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 Wayne Stenehjem - AG Phil Weiser -
- AG Jason Ravnsborg - AG Hector Balderas -
AG Alliance Co-Chairs
- AG Lawrence Wasden - AG Sean Reyes - AG Karl Racine -
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Attorney General Alliance 5050 Laguna Blvd., Ste. 112-323, Elk Grove, CA 95758
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