Here is what happened this week for DAGA and our Democratic Attorneys General:

2019 CAMPAIGN UPDATES

• MISSISSIPPI—
  • Essence profiled Jennifer Riley Collins this week and the historic nature of her race saying, “For Riley Collins, it’s not just about making history, it’s about making a difference in the state she loves and continuing a life of public service.” Riley Collins told Essence “When I win, it means that Mississippi has moved forward. It means for Mississippi that people will realize that we are no longer burning…It will mean a realization of a dream—that of Dr. King.” Read the full profile here!
  • Democratic AG candidate Jennifer Riley Collins earned an endorsement from the Mississippi Association of Educators (MAE). “We know…attorney Jennifer Riley Collins will stand and fight for the more than 90% of Mississippi children who attend our state’s public schools as well as the educators who nurture those children,” said MAE President Erica Jones. Check out a tweet from Jennifer Riley Collins thanking MAE for the endorsement here!
  • Meanwhile, Mississippi’s discriminatory Jim Crow-era elections laws continue to garner attention, check out the latest in the Huffington Post article here.
• LOUISIANA— Election Day is TOMORROW, Saturday, October 12^th! Democratic AG candidate Ike Jackson spoke this week to The Advocate about the issues most important to him and why current Republican AG Jeff Landry isn’t right for the job. “He can’t defend that. That’s absolute stupidity,” Ike Jackson said about AG Landry’s effort to overturn the Affordable Care Act. “He can’t run away from his record on that. That issue is more than political, it’s personal,” he continued. Read the full article here!

​What’s spookier than this? Four more years of Jeff Landry trying to take away our health care.

• KENTUCKY— In response to the initial decision in the disqualification lawsuit challenging Mitch McConnell protégé Daniel Cameron’s experience DAGA Executive Director Sean Rankin said, “This process put a microscope on Cameron’s limited career with no experience in court. Voters took notice—and what they see is someone who could barely make it onto the ballot and someone who lacks enough experience to do the job of Attorney General.” Democratic AG candidate Greg Stumbo said, “I have spent my life becoming a seasoned trial attorney in the courtrooms of this state on behalf of Kentuckians.  My opponent has never even prosecuted a traffic ticket citation.” Read more about this lawsuit in the Courier Journal here!

DEM AG 9^th CIRCUIT WIN
A coalition of 13 Democratic AGs scored a big victory in the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals this week against the Trump Administration’s Department of Energy affirming the Department’s obligation to publish its finalized energy efficiency standards. California AG Xavier Becerra said, “We applaud this decision upholding the order that compels the Trump Administration to commit to standards that will save consumers money and protect both public health and the environment.” Read more in Reuters here!

100 VICTORIES
This week, Washington AG Bob Ferguson’s Worker Protection Initiative scored its 100^th victory in ending no-poach clauses at corporate franchise chains. “My goal is to end no-poach practices. Period. Millions of workers nationwide have already been impacted by the first 100 chains entering into legally enforceable commitments. We won’t stop until every corporate franchise with a significant presence in Washington eliminates these clauses nationwide,” AG Ferguson said. Read more about AG Ferguson’s work to protect workers across the country here!

PROTECTING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
On Monday, a Federal Appeals judge heard arguments in a court case involving Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban. 21 Democratic AGs filed a brief opposing this abortion ban. New York AG Tish James said “Over 45 years ago, Roe v. Wade made it clear that women hold the right to have safe, legal abortions. Despite multiple states’ attempts to roll back the clock, we’ll never stop fighting.” Read the full brief here!

WHAT THE WORK IS REALLY ABOUT: PROTECTING PEOPLE
Massachusetts AG Maura Healey secured a critical victory in the fight to hold opioid manufacturers and the Sackler Family accountable for the harm they’ve caused during the ongoing opioid crisis. “This decision confirms that Purdue & the Sacklers are accountable to the people of MA. We need to know the truth about their role in the opioid epidemic & families deserve justice,” AG Healey tweeted. Check out the video to see AG Healey and her office’s reaction to the court refusing to dismiss the Sacklers from this case! Read AG Healey’s op-ed on the issue here!

HAITIAN HERITAGE
Claire Savage of The Haitian Times profiled DAGA Co-Chair District of Columbia AG Karl Racine this week writing, “Juggling dozens of public improvement initiatives, constituent feedback, office politics, trailblazing for future D.C. attorney generals and, of course, suing President Donald Trump, Racine also runs point recruiting Democratic attorneys general across the country.” AG Racine later says, “The source of my motivation and passion derives from my family.” Read the full profile of AG Racine’s work here!

(TOP)-ED OF THE WEEK
Pennsylvania AG Josh Shapiro wrote in The Morning Call about why he is suing the Trump Administration for rolling back clean car standards. AG Shapiro writes, “I have the responsibility to act as a check on the federal government when it infringes upon our sovereignty, including on Pennsylvanians’ constitutional rights to clean air and pure water. The federal rollback of the Clean Car Standards threatens those rights…” Read the full op-ed here explaining why taking this action is crucial to Pennsylvanians and people across the country!

SCOTUS HAPPENINGS
This week, the Supreme Court officially began its 2019-2020 session. Before the Court are several cases that examine if LGBTQ+ workers are protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A coalition of Democratic AGs filed a friend-of-the-court brief in each case supporting the rights of LGBTQ+ people in the workplace and arguing for the same level of protections guaranteed to others. California AG Xavier Becerra tweeted “I’m proud to stand w/ states around the country to fight for the civil rights of each & every person living in the U.S.”