DAGA Download – April 12

April 12, 2019

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

COVER STORY
This week, the important work Democratic AGs are doing to hold Trump accountable to the law made the front page of USA Today. Democratic AGs are going to court to protect the people in their states—and WINNING. “This is a unique administration, which is generating an outsized response from the Democratic attorneys general,” said Sean Rankin, DAGA Executive Director. “No one is above the law. Donald Trump has had to learn that the hard way.” For the full story, check out the piece linked here.

DEM AG TV GUIDE
Connecticut AG William Tong joined Yasmin Vossoughian on MSNBC’s The Beat last Friday to discuss the Democratic AG coalition’s challenge to President Trump’s fake National Emergency declaration and Trump’s illegal attempt to strip millions of dollars of funding for their states to build a border wall. Later that evening, AG Tong appeared on MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show with guest host Ali Velshi to discuss the lawsuit and other efforts by Democratic AGs to combat Trump’s dangerous immigration agenda, including the work that Democratic AGs are doing to protect the rights of legal asylum seekers.
ICYMI: Learn more here about AG Tong’s personal experience visiting the southern border last month with other Democratic AGs.
JRC FOR MISSISSIPPI
This week, Mississippi candidate for AG Jennifer Riley Collins was recognized as “a fierce advocate for commonsense voting reforms like online registration and early no-excuse voting, both of which would increase access to the polls.” This is in stark contrast to Mark Baker, Republican candidate for AG, who called the Voting Rights Act an infringement on Mississippi’s “sovereignty.” JRC understands that the VRA of 1965 is a pivotal law in our country’s struggle for equal rights and representation. To read more on JRC, check out this op-ed in the Jackson Free Press, written by Mississippi activist Nsombi Lambright, on this extremely important AG race happening THIS NOVEMBER.
KENTUCKY AG BESHEAR WILL PROTECT KENTUCKY CARE
Kentucky AG Andy Beshear describes why he is “fighting on many fronts to protect access to affordable health care.” The fight to save healthcare centers on the Democratic AGs defense of the ACA in Texas v. US, a lawsuit brought by Republican AGs to undermine the bedrock healthcare law, putting critical care for millions of Americans at risk. “Keeping the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in place also protects coverage for 500,000 Kentuckians, many who received coverage for the first time in their lives thanks to the expansion of Medicaid. In fact, Kentucky led the nation in the reduction of uninsured residents.” Read AG Beshear’s full op-ed in the Courier-Journal here!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: The 5th Circuit court granted a motion this week to hold a hearing in Texas v. US  in July. Check out this video from California AG Xavier Becerra summing up Trump’s dangerous move to gut the ACA—and the Democratic AGs fight to stop the GOP-led efforts that put the healthcare of 130 million Americans at risk.

PROTECTING STUDENTS FROM PREDATORY LENDERS
In a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, 21 Democratic AGs teamed up to demand that DeVos release important information on student loans to help protect consumers from “illegal, unfair abusive or deceptive practices.” In a statementMaryland AG Brian Frosh said that the “established practice of sharing certain student loan information helps states ensure these companies are complying with the law and borrowers are being treated fairly.” For the full story, check out the Washington Post here!

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