On The Trail

UTAH’S BLUE HUES
This past weekend, Utah held conventions for both political parties. According to Utah native and DAGA Political Director Farah Melendez, “[b]ased on Saturday’s results, one thing is clear: Utah is ready to elect someone new as state Attorney General, and the energy coming out of the party conventions this weekend affirms that Utah is on the map for a Democratic pick-up this year.” Greg Skordas secured the Democratic nomination for AG with 96.6 percent of the overall vote. Meanwhile, Republican AG incumbent Sean Reyes fell short of the 60 percent vote threshold required for his party’s nomination, meaning that he will now face his opponent David Leavitt in a primary on June 30, 2020. Read the full press release here.

SPEAKING OF PRIMARIES…
The COVID-19 crisis continues to affect almost every facet of our lives, including upcoming primaries on the AG map. Below is an updated list of the remaining state primaries:

• Oregon – May 19
• Pennsylvania – June 2
• Montana – June 2
• West Virginia – June 9
• Indiana Dem Convention – June 13
• Indiana GOP Convention – June 19 & 20
• Utah GOP Primary – June 30
• Missouri – August 4
• Washington – August 4
• Vermont – August 11

MULTI-STATE MOMENTS!

THANK YOU ESSENTIAL WORKERS
In honor of International Workers’ Day, DAGA released a new video featuring Democratic AGs from across the country thanking essential workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. The video also highlights the coalition’s commitment to fighting for protections and resources for essential workers as they confront the pandemic. Read the DAGA statement here and WATCH the video below:

PROTECTING IMMIGRANTS
Democratic AGs continue to fight for immigrant communities. Connecticut AG William Tong, New York AG Tish James, and Vermont AG TJ Donovan filed a motion to temporarily halt the implementation of Trump’s Public Charge Rule. The motion notes that immigrants make up a sizable portion of the essential workforce that is keeping people safe and healthy and warns that removing healthcare access for them could have serious—and fatal—consequences. “Unlike the Public Charge Rule, this disease does not discriminate — infecting both citizens and non-citizens alike,” said AG James. Read the filed motion here.

HOLDING CREDIT COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE
This week, a coalition of 22 Democratic AGs sent a letter to the three consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) reiterating the coalition’s commitment to protecting consumers during this time and to enforcing vital safeguards outlined in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The Dem AG coalition emphasized that they will actively monitor and enforce compliance of the CARES Act during the COVID-19 pandemic and will hold the CRAs accountable for failure to meet their obligations. Maryland AG Brian Frosh, one of the letter’s signatories, emphasized in a press release that, “CRAs must honor the consumer protections in the CARES Act. If they fail to do so, our office will enforce the law to protect the Marylanders who have suffered during this crisis.”

AG SPOTLIGHT

Illinois AG Kwame Raoul joined Health Care Voter’s digital town hall series, Our Lives on the Line, for the Illinois event. During the town hall, AG Raoul and other state leaders highlighted their work to protect the people of Illinois during the COVID-19 crisis, including the Democratic AGs’ current fight to defend health care for millions of people. Watch the full town hall recording here.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

This week, Democratic AGs partnered with Twitter to participate in a national bipartisan Twitter Q&A called #AskTheAG! The Q&A allowed people to ask state AGs questions about what they are doing to protect people during the COVID-19 crisis. More than 24 state AGs participated, with more than 15 Democratic AGs taking part in the nationwide Twitter event!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Colorado AG Phil Weiser launched a series called “Colorado Goes Supreme.” This week, AG Weiser talks about how a case gets to the U.S. Supreme Court. Check it out here!

CATCH UP: The #DAGADownload highlights what Democratic AGs did each week. Catch up on the week’s news and add a little comic relief to your day here!