Announcements, information and updates from CWAG Members and Associates
February 28, 2019
|
|
Articles on topics relevant to the work of Attorneys General around the nation.
(
Note: Subscription may be required for access
.)
|
|
OPIOID CRISIS
The Washington Post
|
|
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
USA Today
|
|
PRIVACY
The Washington Post
|
|
|
CWAG invites you to attend our 2019 Spring Dinner on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Lafayette, Louisiana, in conjunction with Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s NAAG Presidential Initiative Summit.
Attorneys General and private sector supporters will join together for a highly personal and engaging dinner with approximately 15-20 Attorneys General
at The DoubleTree Hotel.
The CWAG 2019 Spring Dinner begins with a reception for all attendees from 6:00pm – 7:00pm in Salon A immediately followed by dinner from 7:00pm – 9:00pm in the Ballroom at The DoubleTree Hotel.
If you need more information or if you have any questions, please contact meeting manager Ale Stephens at
astephens@cwagweb.org
or 303.304.9206.
We hope to see you in Lafayette!
|
|
Idaho Attorney General Wasden Announces New Wells Fargo Consumer Redress Program
February 27, 2019
Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced that Wells Fargo has launched a consumer redress program associated with a December 2018 settlement with Idaho, 49 other states and the
District of Columbia. The program will allow consumers who haven’t yet been made whole through other remediation programs to ask that Wells Fargo review their inquiry for possible relief.
As part of the program, Wells Fargo will maintain a
website
that contains information regarding consumers' eligibility for redress. The website describes the issues covered by the settlement agreement and provides phone numbers for consumers who wish to request review. Wells Fargo's consumer redress review website is
https://www.wellsfargo.com/commitment/redress/
.
|
|
California Attorney General Becerra Announces Bill to Outlaw Collusive Agreements Between Drug Companies that Inflate Drug Prices
February 20, 2019
Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Assemblymember Jim Wood unveiled legislation to help curb increasing drug prices in California. AB 824 would prohibit pharmaceutical agreements in which a drug company transfers anything of value to delay a competitor’s research, marketing, or sale of a competing version of its drug. These agreements, known as “pay-for-delay” agreements, have significantly contributed to price increases for prescription drugs in California.
|
|
Arkansas Attorney General Rutledge Demands FCC Require Telecommunication Companies Stop Robocalls
February 25, 2019
Attorney General Leslie Rutledge sent a letter to the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) demanding that the FCC take more aggressive measures to require all telecommunication companies (telecoms) to use existing technology to identify and stop illegal robocalls.
|
|
Michigan Attorney General Nessel Serves Defendant Via Social Media for Judgment of Nearly $800,000
February 27, 2019
Using a savvy delivery method, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel served a default judgment for nearly $800,000 and an injunction against the owner of Fan Authentics, a purported online sports-themed retailer. Christopher Carr, 23, formerly of Troy, is required to pay the obligations within 28 days of the order’s entry.
Carr fled Michigan and stopped responding to the Department through ordinary channels, so Nessel sought and obtained an order from Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Clinton Canady III allowing the Department to serve Carr through Facebook, where the defendant remains active.
|
|
Michigan Attorney General Nessel Lauds Progress in Fight Against Sex Trafficking
February 22, 2019
Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that a Detroit resident was sentenced to three to 15 years in prison for his involvement in sex trafficking. To date, the department has filed human trafficking charges against 27 individuals – all leading to arrests. This case makes 24 successful human trafficking convictions.
|
|
California Attorney General Becerra Seeks to Clarify California Consumer Privacy Act
February 25, 2019
Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson unveiled SB 561, legislation to strengthen and clarify the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The CCPA is landmark legislation passed in 2018 that provides groundbreaking protections for consumers in their ability to control the use of their personal data. California is the first in the nation to pass a law giving consumers this right. SB 561 helps improve the workability of the law by clarifying the Attorney General’s advisory role in providing general guidance on the law, ensuring a level playing field for businesses that play by the rules, and giving consumers the ability to enforce their new rights under the CCPA in court.
|
|
California Attorney General Becerra and Unveils Legislation to Strengthen Data Breach Notification Law
February 21, 2019
Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) unveiled AB 1130, legislation to strengthen California’s data breach notification law to protect consumers. The bill closes a loophole in the state’s existing data breach notification law by requiring businesses to notify consumers of compromised passport numbers and biometric information.
|
|
New Data on Domestic Abuse in Wisconsin is Available
February 27, 2019
Attorney General Josh Kaul announced that new data on domestic abuse incidents in Wisconsin is now available for the public’s review. Data from 2017 is now published on the dashboards, and 2015-2016 data has been updated.
The dashboards are divided into three primary areas: law enforcement reporting, charging, and case processing. Users can view information about incidents reported by law enforcement, including the number of incidents, suspects, victims, and arrests by county. Users can also view information about charging and case processing, including the most common and severe referred, issued, and convicted charges, as well as information about prosecutions, convictions, and sentencing by county and by defendant demographics.
|
|
ELECTORAL COLLEGE DECISION
|
|
Texas Attorney General Paxton Releases Statement on Court Decision Upholding Texas’ Electoral College System
February 26, 2019
Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following statement after a U.S. District Court in San Antonio sided with Texas and dismissed a lawsuit challenging the time-honored Electoral college system used in every presidential election since 1789:
“The Constitution allows states to appoint electors ‘in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct.’ Texas chose the winner-take-all method that 47 other states also use, a method that has been in constant use since 1789,” Attorney General Paxton said. “Only an amendment to the Constitution can change or eliminate the stable and successful presidential election system designed by our Founders.”
|
|
Oregon Attorney General Rosenblum and Consumer Advocates Push for Stronger Student Debt Protections
February 25, 2019
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and other consumer advocates testified before the Oregon House Business and Labor Committee in support of stronger protections for Oregon student loan borrowers who are amassing educational debt at staggering rates. In Oregon, it is estimated that outstanding student loan debt has surpassed $18 billion, with the average debt load per Oregon borrower at over $27,000.
|
|
DETENTION FACILITIES REPORT
|
|
Attorney General Becerra Releases First Report on Facilities for Detained Migrants in California
February 26, 2019
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the release of a California Department of Justice (DOJ) report on immigration detention facilities in the state. The report is the result of Assembly Bill 103, which passed in 2017, requiring the DOJ, over a 10-year period, to report on: conditions of confinement; the standard of care and due process provided to detainees; and the circumstances around the apprehension and transfer of detainees to facilities. This initial report is intended to provide increased transparency around immigration detention facilities in California. The report is an important step forward in understanding the conditions under which civil immigration detainees are living, including their access to critical health and legal resources.
|
|
INTERNATIONAL RULE OF LAW
|
|
Cuban Diplomat Visits California Department of Justice
February 25, 2019
First Secretary Miguel Fraga of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba visited with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, where they recalled the delegation of CWAG Member and Associate State Attorneys General who visited with Cuban justice officials in Havana, Cuba, in September of 2016.
Becerra and Fraga discussed the importance of law enforcement cooperation in both countries. Fraga said that Cuba will continue to promote a relationship based on good will and mutual respect with the U.S., for the good of both countries.
|
|
Using Technology to Improve Social Justice
Building on CWAG's Cyber Security efforts, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas’s Chair's Initiative will focus on bringing together leaders from the corporate, nonprofit and government sectors to utilize technology to strengthen our economy and improve public safety outcomes. Expanded collaboration among leading privacy and security researchers, academics, industry representatives, consumer advocates, law enforcement and government entities will address national and international cyber security concerns.
This very important educational initiative is one which explores and expands the multifaceted elements of implementing cyber security programs and protocols. Further, through this effort, impacts on society and often, on those who are most vulnerable, are brought to light as it intersects with public policy, data security and law enforcement actions. Finally, we will examine the gig economy and the impact of disruptive technology as it relates to justice.
Initiative themes will include:
- Protecting Children, Families and Consumers:
- Enhanced enforcement of child online privacy protection laws
- Utilization of technology to assist law enforcement in combatting criminal activities such as fraud and money laundering with the use of biometric facial recognition protocols
- Utilization of technology to address issues specific to economic disparity like tax refunds and expedited Medicare/Medicaid payments
Protecting Personal Data Privacy:
- Strengthening and collaboration of data breach notification laws
- Implementation of safeguards against scams and the emerging electronic consumer marketplace
Protecting Against Human Trafficking:
- Creation of a multi-district communications solution that uses secured and encrypted communications for investigators
- Utilization of a technological tools which enhance and strengthen our ability to conduct investigations and communicate with agents in multiple jurisdictions without fear of having those channels compromised
Through this initiative, state attorneys generals will jointly address cyber security as one of the greatest threats to our nation. An advisory board of stakeholders - to include corporate, nonprofit and technology leaders - will be assembled to provide support and input relating to our economy and the various public safety components of the initiative. General Balderas’s will also use the experienced gained by his office through their current bi-national, multi-state cyber security pilot project supporting the efforts of law enforcement across our international lines.
CWAG Presidential Initiative Summit dates to be announced soon!
|
|
Updated
American Indian Law Deskbook
Is Now Available
The
American Indian Law Deskbook
is a concise, direct, and easy-to-understand handbook on Indian law. The chapter authors of this book are experienced state lawyers who have been involved in Indian law for many years.
American Indian Law Deskbook
addresses the areas of Indian law most relevant to the practitioner.
Topics include:
- Definitions of Indians and Indian tribes
- Indian lands
- Criminal, civil regulatory, and civil adjudicatory jurisdiction
- Civil rights
- Indian water rights
- Fish and wildlife
- Environmental regulation
- Taxation
- Gaming
- Indian Child Welfare Act and tribal-state cooperative agreements
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
