Michigan Attorney General (AG) Dana Nessel has filed suit against the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority to enforce demands by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) related to alleged per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination of the regional drinking water supply caused by the airport authority.
On September 13, Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti sent a letter to members of the Net Zero Financial Service Providers Alliance (NZFSPA) warning that their commitment to support “global net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner” may violate state and federal law. Specifically, Skrmetti — and the 22 AGs who co-signed his letter — expressed “concerns” that NZFSPA’s commitments “may run afoul of” federal antitrust and state consumer protection statutes. The AGs request that NZFSPA members respond by October 13, providing detailed information regarding their “commitments and related policies.”
On September 5, the attorney generals (AGs) of 54 U.S. states and territories called on Congress to address bad actors who generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM) using artificial technology (AI). Framing the issue as a “race against time,” the letter highlights the harms of AI-generated CSAM, and asks Congress to study and propose solutions.
Continue Reading AGs Call for Congress Action on AI-Generated Child Abuse Content
This article was originally published on September 7, 2023 in Reuters and is republished here with permission.
State Attorneys General (AGs) uniquely wield power to enforce the law, direct policy, and effectuate political goals. Exercising their civil prosecutorial authority, State AGs have redefined priorities of paramount concern to CEOs and in-house legal counsel that impact the corporate and commercial landscape.
Continue Reading Making an Impact: State Attorneys General Races in 2023 and Beyond
On August 11, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 2222 (Public Act 103-0526) into law — bolstering Illinois’ antitrust prevention efforts by expanding the oversight purview of its Attorney General’s (AG) office with respect to health care transactions. Under the new law, the Illinois AG now has the power to review and assess certain “covered transactions” entered into between health care facilities and providers.
Continue Reading Illinois Expands Health Care Transaction Oversight
On July 25, Missouri, Arkansas, and Iowa (the states), along with intervenors American Water Works Association and National Rural Water Association (the water associations), petitioned the Eighth Circuit to review the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new rule requiring states to review and report cybersecurity threats to their public water systems (PWS).
Continue Reading EPA Cybersecurity Rule Challenged by States and Water Systems Associations
On August 21, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request by West Virginia Attorney General (AG) Patrick Morrisey and 26 other state AGs to participate in oral arguments in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) et al. v. Community Financial Services Association of America et al., which concerns whether the CFPB’s statutory authorization violates the Constitution’s Appropriations Clause. Morrissey and 26 other predominantly Republican state AGs have submitted an amicus brief arguing that it does. Morrissey is joined by the AGs for Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
On August 16, a coalition of seven state attorneys general (AG) announced a settlement with participants alleged to be involved in a “massive” robocall operation. The stipulated order, which names Scott Shapiro, Michael T. Smith, Jr., and Health Advisors of America (defendants), permanently bans Shapiro and Smith from initiating or facilitating robocalls; working in or with companies that make robocalls; and engaging in telemarketing. The settlement also requires the defendants to make monetary payments to the coalition, which is comprised of AGs from the states of Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, and Texas (the AGs).
Continue Reading Seven State AGs Announce Settlement With Robocallers
Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) Andrea Joy Campbell announced the creation of a new Elder Justice Unit, which will use existing resources to protect and promote the safety and well-being of elders through enforcement actions, legislative advocacy, and community engagement and education.
On August 18, 2023, a New York Supreme Court judge has enjoined New York cannabis regulators from further processing, approving, or investigating any new or pending applications for a state conditional adult-use retail dispensary (CAURD) license, leaving New York’s nascent adult-use cannabis market in limbo.