In the grand experiment of American democracy, it is often said that states serve as laboratories, testing policies that challenge the status quo without risking the stability of the whole. Oregon, known in recent years for its pioneering drug decriminalization laws, is at a crossroads that marks the end of a significant experiment. State legislators recently passed a bill aiming to recriminalize the possession of small amounts of certain substances, a move now awaiting Democratic Governor Tina Kotek’s approval. Last week, the governor announced that she plans to sign the bill. The move toward recriminalization highlights a broader conversation on the re-evaluation of drug policy, public health, and social justice in a post war-on-drugs environment in the U.S.

New York Attorney General (AG) Letitia James filed a lawsuit on March 5 against Yellowstone Capital, its founder David Glass, and a network of 30 other affiliated companies and individuals. James alleges that Yellowstone Capital, acting through a myriad of different company names, engaged in an orchestrated predatory lending scheme. James’ lawsuit is among a wave of recent enforcement actions targeting alleged deceptive financial practices.

As we look ahead to 2024, significant changes are underway in state attorney general (AG) elections, with 10 AGs facing reelection due to incumbents pursuing other offices or opting out. Open seats in North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, and West Virginia, indicate that at least six new AGs will come into power. Additionally, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, and Vermont will hold their AG elections, with incumbents facing challengers in those races.

On March 6, the California Department of Justice’s (California DOJ) Antitrust Chief Paula Blizzard, announced at the American Bar Association’s National Institute on White Collar Crime that her office is planning to reinvigorate criminal antitrust prosecutions. California’s antitrust law, the Cartwright Act, prohibits practices that restrict commerce, prevent competition, or enter agreements that lessen competition. Blizzard touted that the Cartwright Act is “broader and deeper” than its federal counterpart, the Sherman Act. She conceded that the California DOJ has not brought a criminal prosecution under the Cartwright Act in 25 years, but she expects that to change.

On February 16, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made a significant move to combat consumers’ receipt of unwanted communications. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) already regulates automated calls and texts absent an exemption or the prior express consent of the called party. The FCC has now adopted new measures aimed at empowering consumers with the option to further prevent automated calls and texts.

In a recent ruling, the California Court of Appeal largely affirmed a lower court’s decision from March 2022, finding that Ashford University (now known as University of Arizona Global Campus), an online, for-profit college, had engaged in deceptive recruitment practices vis-à-vis veterans eligible for federal GI Bill educational benefits. California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta initiated the action in November 2017, alleging that Ashford University had caused harm to a significant number of students, many of whom were veterans, by disseminating false and misleading statements about career outcomes, cost and financial aid, pace of degree programs, and transfer credits.

On February 29, the state of Montana, supported by seven other states, filed an amicus brief arguing that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lacks authority to regulate crypto assets. The attorneys general (AG) submitted the brief in response to the SEC’s enforcement action alleging violations of the Exchange Act against Payward, a secondary market crypto platform. The AGs argue that the SEC’s position, with respect to regulating the crypto market, may potentially preempt consumer protection and other state laws, thus disrupting the traditional division of powers between the states and the federal government.

The U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) proposed an amendment to the General Services Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) aimed at reducing single-use plastic packaging. Specifically, the proposed amendment allows suppliers to voluntarily supply the government with “single use plastic free” (SUP-free) packaging and, in return, the suppliers will be eligible for a SUP-free filter icon on the GSA website that allows purchasers within the government to easily identify SUP-free products. Eleven attorneys general (AGs) from Massachusetts, California, Illinois, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. signed a letter in support of the new rule. They identified some proposed modifications, arguing that the GSA’s proposed amendment does not go far enough to combat what the AGs deem to be a “plastic waste crisis.”