ON THE TRAIL

TRUST SWING DEM AGs
Following the Democratic Presidential Debate held in Las Vegas last week, Nevada AG Aaron Ford penned an op-ed in the Las Vegas Sun highlighting the importance of voting Blue up and down the ticket in 2020. “Winning this November is crucial,” writes AG Ford, “it is not a hyperbole to say this is the most important election in our lifetime.” Most importantly, this November isn’t just about voting Trump out of office. AG Ford reminds us that Democratic AGs have been fighting corrupt and harmful Trump administration policies since day one of the Trump presidency. Read the full op-ed here!

THE GOP GOES OFF THE DEEP END
Ahead of the Democratic Debate this week in Charleston, South Carolina, the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) hosted a bizarre and alarming panel with former RAGA chair Arkansas AG Leslie Rutledge, Georgia AG Chris Carr, and South Carolina AG Alan Wilson. The conversation was all about the “#LawlessLiberals”— surprisingly the Dem AGs 80% win record in court didn’t come up—and the panel quickly turned into a mess of lies, misinformation, and extremes that clearly showcase just how out of touch RAGA and the Republican AGs are with the American people. For more on the extreme, hour-long conversation see this recap here.

MULTI-STATE MOMENTS!

DEM AGs TAKE ON POLLUTERS
Maryland AG Brian Frosh, Delaware AG Kathleen Jennings, and New Jersey AG Gurbir Grewal wrote a joint op-ed for The Hill speaking out against a misguided FERC Order that puts up unnecessary hurdles for states trying to use more renewable resources. The Dem AGs write that “by erecting barriers to the participation of state-supported clean-energy resources, FERC’s Order violates the law and discriminates against state preferred resources.” Read the full op-ed here in The Hill to learn more about how the AGs are standing up for consumers and the planet.

PROTECTING KIDS
A bipartisan coalition of 39 AGs led by a group, including Democratic AGs from Connecticut, Oregon, and Nevada have announced a multistate investigation into JUUL Labs, claiming that the company targeted youths and made misleading advertising claims. “I will not prejudge where this investigation will lead, but we will follow every fact and are prepared to take strong action in conjunction with states across the nation to protect public health,” said Connecticut AG William Tong.

BONUS: Last week, Massachusetts AG Maura Healey filed a lawsuit against JUUL Labs. AG Healey launched an investigation into JUUL in July 2018 and has continued to question the company’s marketing tactics. She dismissed the idea of a settlement, citing the “pain and suffering of families” and students as a result of JUUL’s tactics.

DEFENDING WORKERS
New York AG Tish James and Pennsylvania AG Josh Shapiro led a coalition of 18 Democratic AGs in a lawsuit this week fighting against a proposed Department of Labor rule that will eliminate key protections for workers. The lawsuit challenges a new rule by the Trump administration that opens the door to potential worker’s rights violations. California AG Xavier Becerra said, “Our workers deserve to be protected by rules that keep pace with the realities of the 21st century.”

AG SPOTLIGHT!

DAGA CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY
As we close Black History Month and celebrate the power of diverse leadership in the fight to bring about change and equality, DAGA is lifting up the voices of the most diverse coalition of Democratic AGs in history. Learn more from New York AG Tish James, Nevada AG Aaron Ford, Illinois AG Kwame Raoul, Minnesota AG Keith Ellison, and DAGA’s Chair Emeritus District of Columbia AG Karl Racine on what Black History Month means and why representation matters in the videos linked here.

AWARD SEASON
This week the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the SF Bay Area honored California AG Xavier Becerra with their “Living the Dream” Award. AG Becerra said, “we still have our work cut out for us to fulfill DR. King’s dream. But as he so wisely said, ‘we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future.”

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Democratic AGs are standing up for the people and taking Trump to court for harmful and dangerous policies. The good news is they are winning. But who’s counting?

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

DAGA’s Political Director Farah Melendez spoke at League of United Latin American Citizens’ Emerge 2020 Latino Conference in Washington DC this week. Emerge is a multi-day conference for college-age and young Latino, designed to train attendees in civic engagement, advocacy and professional development.