DAGA Download – March 5
March 5, 2021
ON THE TRAIL
VA ENDORSEMENT CORNER
Virginia House Majority Leader Rep. Charniele Herring announced her endorsement of Virginia AG Mark Herring. In a video, Rep. Herring outlines AG Herring’s track record as Virginia Attorney General saying, “he’s not just about the talk. He walks the walk.” Just last month, AG Herring and Rep. Herring wrote an op-ed expressing their support for automatic expungement. Watch the full video here.
MULTISTATE MOMENTS
DEFENDING REUNIFICATION
District of Columbia AG Karl Racine and Illinois AG Kwame Raoul co-led a coalition of 20 Democratic AGs urging the Biden-Harris Administration to abandon Trump-era plans to end family reunification programs that would heavily impact Haitian and Filipino immigrants. The two vulnerable programs are The Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program (HFRP) and the Filipino World War II Veteran Parole Program (FWVP). AG Racine shared his own personal experience saying, “As a Haitian American who rejoined my family after they fled political turmoil in Haiti, I understand the value that reunification programs can offer to families facing dire circumstances.” Read more here.
DEFENDING IMMIGRANTS
DAGA Co-Chair Massachusetts AG Maura Healey and District of Columbia AG Karl Racine co-led a coalition of 20 Democratic AGs in filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, supporting the right of individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to become permanent residents. According to the brief, 400,000 TPS holders currently live in the United States. In a statement AG Healey said, “Thousands of TPS holders have lived in Massachusetts lawfully for decades, raising families, becoming active in their communities, joining the workforce, and contributing to our economy. Denying these immigrants the right to become permanent residents would harm them, their families, our communities, and our economy. We urge the Court to ensure TPS holders have this important opportunity.” Democratic AGs continue to take action to protect immigrant communities all across the country. Read more here.
DEFENDING STUDENTS
DAGA Co-Chair Massachusetts AG Maura Healey and District of Columbia AG Karl Racine also co-led a coalition of 24 Democratic AGs in filing a brief, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to preserve the ability of schools to address cyberbullying and other forms of off-campus bullying that could negatively impact students’ education. AG Racine said, “Our coalition of attorneys general urge the Supreme Court to strike an appropriate balance between students’ First Amendment rights and schools’ responsibility to create a safe environment—free from hate, intimidation, or violence—where students can learn. When off-campus bullying interferes with on-campus learning, schools must be able to act.”
AG SPOTLIGHT
PROTECTING WORKERS
Virginia AG Mark Herring announced the creation of the Virginia Attorney General’s first Worker Protection Unit. The office is designed to investigate and prosecute individuals and businesses who unlawfully engage in worker exploitation, as well as educate Virginia workers on their rights under Virginia and federal law. AG Herring spoke to WFXR and said, “Everyone deserves to be paid a fair and full wage for an honest day’s work.” Read more here.
BONUS: AG Herring’s work received accolades from Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Don’t forget! The 2021 and 2022 election cycles present big opportunities for DAGA and Dem AGs, with more than 30 state Attorneys General races on the ballot. Don’t overlook these key races!
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Pennsylvania AG Josh Shapiro talked with MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace about the Republican attempts to restrict voting rights and the role local officials have played in upholding democracy.
