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

SURVIVOR STORIES
This past week, DAGA partnered with the Everytown Survivor Network to host a gun violence prevention round table with more than 20 Democratic AGs and nine gun violence survivors to discuss ways we can all work together to keep our communities safe.  The event was tied to Gun Violence Prevention month and Wear Orange weekend. You can read more here!

BONUS CONTENT: Colorado AG Phil Weiser spoke with the local CBS affiliate about how Democratic AGs are working together to combat gun violence and what his office is doing in Colorado to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. Catch the full clip here!

MICHIGAN AG v MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
As part of Michigan AG Dana Nessel’s investigation into the Michigan State University’s handling of convicted sex offender Larry Nassar, Nassar’s boss, former Dean William Strampel, was found guilty of neglect and misconduct in office. Strampel is the first person charged in the investigation outside of Larry Nassar. AG Nessel said, “Today’s verdict sends a clear message: It’s time to change the culture in our schools and medical communities so that our female students and doctors receive the same treatment and respect as their male counterparts. Public officers who brandish their power to demean, insult, objectify and abuse female students will be held accountable.” Read more in the Lansing State Journal here!

POWER GRAB UPDATE
Late Wednesday night, Wisconsin Supreme Court moved to temporarily restore harmful, lame-duck power grabs by the GOP that limit the independence of the Wisconsin OAG. These laws were previously struck down as unconstitutional.  Wisconsin AG Josh Kaul told Wisconsin Public Radio, “We will continue to stand up to the Legislature’s unconstitutional attempt to undermine DOJ’s ability to get justice for Wisconsinites.” For more, check out the link here!

TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION
This week, DAGA Co-Chair District of Columbia AG Karl Racine filed a court brief arguing that D.C. residents are harmed by the lack of Congressional representation. In a statement, AG Racine said, “Our more than 700,000 residents work hard, raise families, serve on juries, fight in wars, and pay the highest federal taxes per capita, yet we cannot elect a single voting member of Congress. It is unjust and unacceptable that we are still being deprived of our fundamental right to participate in our democracy and it is long past time for this to change.”

DEM AG DVR
In case you missed it, New Jersey AG Gurbir Grewal joined CNN’s New Day to discuss the coalition of 51 state Attorneys General calling for the Education Department and on Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to forgive disabled veterans’ student loan debt. AG Grewal told CNN New Day anchor Alison Camerota, “What the Department of Education is doing is shameful. They’re putting the onus on the veterans.” Watch the full clip here!

OPIOID ACTION IN NC
North Carolina AG Josh Stein spoke as a featured guest at a two-day in-state gathering of experts in the fight against opioid addiction and abuse. In April, AG Stein announced a new public education campaign called More Powerful NC. Prevention and education are other key components of the state’s Opioid Action Plan. “The campaign is to empower people all across North Carolina, so they know what to do to fight this crisis,” AG Stein said at a press announcement to launch the campaign.

INTRODUCING DAGA’s 1881 Initiative Peg Lautenschlager Fellow
As part of the 1881 Initiative, DAGA launched the Peg Lautenschlager fellow position to honor the late female AG from Wisconsin. We are honored to introduce Jinyoung Lee, DAGA’s first-ever 1881 Initiative fellow. She joins us from Namati, an organization building a global movement for grassroots legal empowerment. Jinyoung will focus on supporting the 1881 Initiative’s goal to elect more women Democratic AGs and elevating the work of the current Democratic AGs that are women.