On The Trail

DEM AG CANDIDATES LEAD DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

• Indiana
  • Karan Tallian hosted her weekly “Lunch with Karen” Facebook Live provided updates to workers about filing for unemployment and other resources available to them.
  • Jonathan Weinzapfel reiterated the need to protect health care in light of the COVID-19 crisis.
• Missouri
  • Elad Gross called for the Republican Governor to expand access to absentee voting.
  • Rich Finneran warned about the threat of scams as stimulus payments are sent out.
• Montana
  • Raph Graybill talked with NBC Montana about the need to combat price-gouging.
  • Kimberly Dudik helped bottle and deliver hand sanitizer to people in need.
• Utah
  • Greg Skordas is hosting his first Facebook Live town hall on Monday, April 20th.
• West Virginia
  • Sam Petsonk talked with WV Capitol Report about citizens’ rights to health care during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
  • Isaac Sponaugle requested the Governor call a Special Session of the West Virginia Legislature to address small business funding, emergency resources, and more

MULTI-STATE MOMENTS!

GHOST GUNS BEGONE
This week, 25 Democratic AGs signed a letter calling on the Trump administration to take action against an online company that has repeatedly ignored federal law and uploaded blueprints for 3D-printable guns in March. In the letter, the Dem AGs warn that anyone who downloads the files could “automatically manufacture functional weapons that cannot be detected by a standard metal detector and, furthermore, are untraceable because they lack serial numbers.”

REMINDER: In January, Washington AG Bob Ferguson led a coalition of 21 Dem AGs in a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s continued effort to allow 3D-printed gun files to be released on the Internet. The new letter marks a continuation of Dem AGs’ efforts to curb the possession and manufacture of dangerous and illegal guns. Read more about the new letter here in The Verge.

CONSUMER PROTECTION DURING COVID-19:
This week, Democratic AG coalitions took additional actions to protect those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic:

• A coalition of 25 Democratic AGs sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, calling on the U.S. Department of the Treasury to take immediate action to ensure billions of dollars in emergency stimulus payments authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) go directly to families, not to debt collectors.
• 23 Democratic AGs sent a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), urging the agency to withdraw its recent guidance and instead enforce the provision of the CARES Act that protects consumers who are financially harmed by the current pandemic from negative credit reporting.

For more on the work Democratic AGs are doing to combat COVID-19, see DAGA’s latest Covid update here. 

AG SPOTLIGHT

This week, DAGA Co-Chair Massachusetts AG Maura Healey launched FrontlineMA.org, a new website to centralize resources for frontline workers and first responders in Massachusetts. The website includes links to resources for childcare, PPE access, free and discounted meals, and more for essential workers. The website also provides a consolidated list of protective resources from AG Healey’s office, including important hotlines for unfair debt collection and evictions.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

During a press conference on Monday evening, Donald Trump claimed that the President of the United States has “total” authority over the states. Washington AG Bob Ferguson reminded President Trump that, “He is not a king. We will continue to remind him he’s not a king.” AG Ferguson also pointed out that Trump’s attitude is the key reason why Washington state is “28-1 in lawsuits” against the administration.

VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

After the Census bureau announced an extended timeline for filling out the 2020 Census, District of Columbia AG Karl Racine released a video encouraging all District residents to fill out the 2020 Census. “Completing the Census will help DC get its fair share of funding for healthcare, schools, housing, food assistance, and more,” said AG Racine in a Tweet.

Check out the full video here and be sure to take a few minutes and fill out the 2020 Census if you haven’t already!

Minnesota AG Keith Ellison also shared a video on Twitter this week with important information on how to avoid and report price-gouging during the COVID-19 emergency. Watch AG Ellison’s helpful video here and keep a sharp eye out for scams, fraud, and price-gouging!

CATCH UP: The #DAGADownload highlights what Democratic AGs did each week. Catch up on what happened last week here!