Announcements, information and updates from CWAG Members and Associates
April 26, 2018
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NATIONAL DRUG TAKE-BACK DAY
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Hawaii AG Coordinates National Take‐Back Initiative on Saturday, April 28, 2018
Turn In Your Unused Or Expired Medications
April 20, 2018
HONOLULU – The Department of the Attorney General is partnering with the Drug Enforcement A
ministration (DEA), State Narcotics Enforcement Division and Department of Public Safety to coordinate a prescription drug take‐back event on Saturday, April 28, 2018, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at various collection points on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Hilo, and Kona.
This will be the DEA’s 15th National Take‐Back Initiative (NTBI), now in its ninth year for the State of Hawaii. Anyone with expired or unused prescription medications is encouraged to bring their medications to the collection sites.
A list of designated collection sites is attached, or you can visit www.dea.gov or www.ag.hawaii.gov to learn more. This service is free and anonymous – no questions asked. Tablets, capsules, liquids, and other forms of medication will be accepted. New or used needles and syringes will not be accepted.
“Prescription drug misuse continues to be a serious concern,” said Attorney General Russell Suzuki. “This event is an important part of the State’s drug misuse education and prevention strategy.”
States across the nation are participating in Drug Take-Back events:
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2018 CWAG Chair's Initiative
May 2-4, 2018
Scottsdale, Arizona
Chair’s Initiative Registration is Now Closed
Due to overwhelming response to this year’s Initiative, CWAG has closed registration for the event. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming CWAG meeting!
LiveStream
Thank you for your continued support of CWAG and CWAG Chair, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
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Balderas Secures Victory for Consumer Protection in New Mexico with Court of Appeals Ruling in ITT Tech Case
April 25, 2018
Attorney General Hector Balderas announced that the New Mexico Court of Appeals issued an Opinion stating that New Mexico was not bound by the agreements ITT Technical Institute entered into with its students and that there is an important public policy in allowing the Attorney General to bring lawsuits against companies that violate the Unfair Practices Act (UPA). The Court of Appeals said: "[t]he UPA represents New Mexico's public policy in favor of preventing consumer harm and resolving consumer claims." The court also confirmed the Attorney General's "broad authority to enforce the provisions of the UPA includes the right to bring actions in [the State's] name, alleging violations of the UPA, if such 'proceedings would be in the public interest [.]'"
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AG Healey to Congress: Don’t Give Lawyers a License to Use Abusive Debt Collection Practices
April 19, 2018
Attorney General Maura Healey led a bipartisan coalition of 20 state attorneys general urging Congress to oppose the so-called Practice of Law Technical Clarification Act of 2018, which would strip away protections against debt collection attorneys who use state courts to intimidate, harass and deceive consumers.
The letter states that, if enacted, the bill would amend the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to exempt law firms and licensed attorneys engaged in “litigation activities,” allowing them to engage in abusive practices. The amendment would also bar individuals from suing debt collection lawyers for damages and reasonable attorneys’ fees.
“This bill gives a free pass to predatory debt collection attorneys that harass our residents and manipulate our court system to threaten elderly and disabled people,” said AG Healey. “Congress should reject this bill.”
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AG Balderas Celebrates Earth Day with Record of Fighting for New Mexico’s
Environment
Balderas asks New Mexicans to join his fight to protect New Mexico’s environment this Earth Day
April 21, 2018
In recognition of Earth Day, Attorney General Hector Balderas highlighted the continuing efforts of the Office of the Attorney General to protect our environment, and also provided suggestions on how residents can help preserve New Mexico’s pristine natural environment.
“New Mexico’s natural beauty is unmatched by any state and I will continue to protect our pristine environment for generations to come,” said Attorney General Balderas. “Our Consumer and Environmental Protection Division is hard at work 365 days a year, but this Earth Day you can join our efforts by committing to a water conservation plan, learning about fire prevention and preparedness, or switching to renewable energy or a green vehicle.”
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Attorney General Becerra Files Criminal Charges Against Five Individuals in $80.3
Million Recycling Fraud Scheme
April 19, 2018
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced the arrest and grand jury indictment of five individuals for defrauding the state’s beverage container recycling program by creating fraudulent weight tickets for California Redemption Value (CRV) refunds. The five defendants personally benefitted from a recycling fraud in Sacramento County that cost the California Redemption Value fund $80.3 million.
California’s beverage container recycling program, administered by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), encourages recycling through a 5- to 10-cent deposit on CRV-eligible beverage containers. Consumers can redeem their containers at privately owned recycling centers certified by CalRecycle. Recycling centers are responsible for ensuring that only eligible bottles and cans that are sold in California, where the CRV deposit was paid, are redeemed.
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United States Supreme Court Hears Travel Ban Case
April 25, 2018
The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in the State’s challenge to the third iteration of President Trump’s travel ban,
Hawaii v. Trump. This case was originally filed in the federal District Court for the District of Hawaii in February 2017, and at first concerned the litigation about the second travel ban. In October 2017, Judge Derrick K. Watson halted implementation of the third travel ban, and this ruling was upheld on appeal by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in December 2017.
Dozens of amicus (friend of the court) briefs were filed in support of the State’s case, representing a wide swath of American life, including civil rights organizations, religious organizations, universities, cities, other States, former national security officials, and numerous law professors, among others.
“We are gratified by the Court’s careful attention to the case,” said
Hawaii Attorney General Russell A. Suzuki. “This is an important day for the rule of law. We are so grateful for Hogan Lovells’ extraordinary year-long pro bono commitment to this case.”
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Follow the 31 AG Races in 2018 on this Interactive Website
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A significant number of states, 30 and the District of Columbia, have contests for the Office of Attorney General. Cozen O’Connor’s State Attorneys General Practice hosts an interactive map for those interested in following the races throughout the country. The State AG Election Tracker includes state-by-state AG candidate snapshots, filing deadlines and primary election dates; daily news, insights, polling and fundraising data; and the ability to sign up for real-time election-night updates via text and email. Access is free.
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