Announcements, information & updates from the Attorney General Alliance Members and Associates
October 28, 2022
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New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced that after a nearly decade-long battle over the waters on the Rio Grande, the case has reached an important legal milestone. The States of Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado have reached a historic agreement after nine years of litigation that, if finalized, will resolve the massive legal dispute between the States over how water from the Rio Grande is divided between southern New Mexico and west Texas. The lawsuit, which Texas filed in 2013, arose from a disagreement over how much water Texas and New Mexico are each entitled to under the 1938 Rio Grande Compact.
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Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes released more information about the man charged in an extensive catalytic converter theft and fencing case, representing a significant financial loss for hundreds of Utahns in recent months. The suspect, 47-year-old Omar Martinez is now in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement which agreed to consider the felony offenses in addition to immigration violations.
Working with Utah Attorney General detectives, Taylorsville Police arrested Martinez and the Attorney General’s Office charged him with three second-degree felonies: Theft by Receiving Stolen Property, Money Laundering, and a Pattern of Unlawful Activity. The investigation discovered Martinez used his own businesses (Del Sol Auto Recycling and El Sol Auto Sales), as a front for multiple sales of catalytic converters, many cut from cars in the community and selling them for profit as scrap metal. Charges indicate Martinez mixed legitimate catalytic converter sales and did most of his business in cash and without receipts.
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Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced the approval of the use of $4 million to create a startup and technology talent retention program through the University of Nevada Reno and the University of Nevada Las Vegas that will be overseen by the Governor's Office of Economic Development. The project, approved at an Interim Finance Committee meeting, emphasizes help toward minority, women, and first-generation college students.
The money for this project, approved by the state's Interim Finance Committee, comes from a 2019 settlement with T-Mobile that included a charitable contribution of $30 million earmarked for enhancing entrepreneurial opportunities for women, minorities, and minority-owned businesses. The project will begin in the Spring Semester of 2023 and will use internship infrastructure already in place at the Nevada Career Studio at the University of Nevada Reno. At the University of Nevada Las Vegas, a new program will be created with support from StartUp Vegas, an entrepreneurial support organization.
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CYBER SECURITY AWARENESS MONTH |
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Since 2004, the President of the United States and Congress have declared October to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month, helping individuals protect themselves online as threats to technology and confidential data become more commonplace. The Attorneys General community is working hard to keep constituents in their respective states safe and are constantly finding new ways to educate and inform consumers on the cyber risks as they become aware of the issues. |
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Halloween can be scary, but nowhere near as scary as more than 100,000 Americans dying of a drug overdose last year. Parents, talk to your children—especially teenagers—because just one pill laced with fentanyl can kill. It is important to spread the message—just one pill laced with fentanyl can kill. |
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District of Columbia Attorney General Karl A. Racine led a bipartisan group of state Attorneys General in calling on grocery chain Albertsons – which owns Safeway – to hold off on paying out nearly $4 billion to its shareholders until the state Attorneys General can complete their review of Kroger and Albertson’s proposed merger.
Attorney General Racine also announced that the Office of the Attorney General is starting a formal investigation into the Albertsons-Kroger proposed merger and its impact on workers and consumers. The investigation will also evaluate whether the “special dividend” affects Albertsons’ ability to compete while the merger is reviewed. Attorney General Racine led the bipartisan letter to Albertsons and Kroger. He was joined by the Attorneys General of Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, and Washington.
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Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and 17 other state attorneys general sent a letter pushing back against the Securities and Exchange Commission’s attempt to stifle the public’s ability to provide input on overreaching and unlawful regulations concerning environmental, social, and governance investing and disclosures regarding emissions. The letter followed the announcement that the Commission lost hundreds or perhaps thousands of public comments during the public comment process. In the coalition’s letter, the attorneys general called on the SEC to extend the public comment timeframe to allow participants to provide meaningful commentary.
Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is joined by the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.
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PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGEMENT |
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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a bipartisan coalition of 35 attorneys general from across the country in an amicus brief to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals supporting Oklahoma’s laws that regulate abusive behavior of pharmacy benefit managers. Oklahoma’s laws regulating PBMs are similar to newly enacted laws in Michigan.
Joining Attorney General Nessel in filing the brief are Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led the bipartisan coalition, and the attorneys general of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.
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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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