Showing posts with label state attorney general. Show all posts
Showing posts with label state attorney general. Show all posts

Did you book with Rocketmiles - you may have a refund due

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that, as a result of his office’s multiyear investigation into online travel agency Rocketmiles, Washington consumers can now file claims to receive their share of a $300,000 recovery. 

From May 1, 2015 to December 5, 2016, the company charged hidden fees on more than 8,000 transactions in Washington, even though they told consumers they charged the same rate as booking directly with a hotel or a competing travel agency.

This is the latest action under Ferguson’s Honest Fees Initiative. With this action, the Honest Fees Initiative has recovered nearly $8.3 million total.

To file a claim, visit the refund page to fill out a form. All claims must be submitted on or before September 29, 2020. For questions about the claims process, there is more information HERE

More information HERE






Read more...

AG Ferguson: Frontier Northwest will pay $900,000 over hidden fees, misrepresentation of internet speeds

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Impacted Washingtonians will be eligible for financial restitution 

OLYMPIA — In the latest action of his office’s Honest Fees Initiative, Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that Frontier Communications Northwest will pay $900,000 to the State of Washington.

The payment resolves an Attorney General’s Office investigation that Frontier Northwest did not adequately disclose fees when advertising and selling its products, and misled subscribers about internet speeds it could provide. Frontier’s unlawful deception impacted thousands of Washington consumers.

The Attorney General’s Office began its investigation into Frontier Northwest in 2018 after receiving more than 600 complaints about the company. The investigation included reviews of Frontier Northwest’s website and advertising as part of the office’s Honest Fees Initiative.

As part of the legally binding agreement, the internet, phone and television provider is ordered to clearly and conspicuously disclose all fees. To resolve Ferguson’s investigation, Frontier Northwest is also required to be transparent about its available internet speeds. The Attorneys Office will set aside the majority of the $900,000 payment to provide restitution to impacted customers.


“Broadband access is integral to our daily lives,” Ferguson said. “The current pandemic has only amplified its importance. Knowing the true cost and speed of our internet connection is essential to make an informed decision about a service that connects us to our work and to each other. Companies must be able to deliver what they promise, at the price they advertise.”

Ferguson asks Washingtonians who believe they have received bills that include undisclosed fees to file a complaint with his office.

The Attorney General’s investigation focused on Frontier Northwest’s failure to adequately disclose fees during sales of cable, internet and phone services since 2016. For example, the company charged as much as $3.99 — nearly $50 per year — for an “Internet Infrastructure Surcharge,” without adequately disclosing the surcharge in its advertising.

The binding agreement also addresses Frontier Northwest’s misrepresentations to consumers about the internet speeds it could offer, and its failure to deliver speeds and service it had advertised.

As part of the agreement, Frontier Northwest will pay the Attorney General’s Office $900,000, the majority of which will be set aside for restitution for impacted Frontier Northwest customers. 
There will be a claims process to determine eligibility for restitution. The Attorney General’s Office will announce details of the claims process when they are finalized. 
Washingtonians who have filed complaints with the Attorney General’s Office about Frontier Northwest will be directly notified of the claims process.

In addition to paying $900,000 to Washington, Frontier Northwest is required to clearly disclose fees and surcharges in its advertisements. It is also required to make clear and conspicuous disclosures in advertising about the internet speeds it is able to offer. In addition, it must stop charging its “Internet Infrastructure Surcharge.”

Frontier Northwest is also required to clearly disclose to potential customers:
  • The monthly base price of the services
  • The estimated amount of taxes, fees or other recurring charges for the services
  • The amount of each one-time fee, or fee charged only on the customer’s first invoice, for the purchased services, including activation and installation fees and equipment purchases
  • Any applicable cancellation or termination fees

Within three business days after a sale, Frontier must send the customer an order confirmation that clearly sets forth the pricing and terms and conditions of service.

In May of this year, Northwest Fiber purchased Frontier Northwest. As a condition of the sale, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved a sale agreement that requires Northwest Fiber to invest $50 million to improve and expand Frontier’s broadband infrastructure. If the company fails to fulfill that commitment, the legally binding agreement includes up to 18 additional requirements on Frontier.

Assistant Attorneys General Daniel Davies, Heidi Anderson and Lynda Atkins, in addition to former AAG Tiffany Lee, handled the case for Washington.

Honest Fees Initiative
Ferguson is calling on Washingtonians to check their bills, and, if they believe they contain hidden fees, to file a complaint at the Attorney General’s website here. For more information on filing complaints, visit www.atg.wa.gov/file-complaint.



Read more...

AG Ferguson wins refunds for victims of COVID-19 “vaccine” scam

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced June 22, 2020 that, as a result of his lawsuit, the maker of a so-called COVID-19 “vaccine” will repay his victims and is permanently barred from marketing vaccines without testing and evidence.

The legally binding agreement comes just over a week after Ferguson filed a lawsuit and nearly two months after he sent Stine a “cease and desist” letter to stop marketing the “vaccine.”

Click here to read the full story




Read more...

Monsanto to pay record $95 million to end Ferguson’s lawsuit over PCBs

Monday, July 6, 2020

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced June 24, 2020 that Monsanto will pay $95 million to resolve Ferguson’s lawsuit over the company’s manufacturing, marketing and distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

This is Washington’s largest independent state environmental recovery against a single entity.



Read more...

AG Ferguson sues debt collection agency for deceptive collection letters over old, legally unenforceable debts

Saturday, July 4, 2020

State Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a consumer protection lawsuit against the national debt collection corporation Convergent Outsourcing for pushing consumers into “settlements” to resolve old debts that were past the statute of limitations for a collection lawsuit.

These “settlement” offers created a deceptive impression that Convergent could sue consumers when it could not, and implied Convergent was prepared to sue consumers if they did not pay.

Click here for more details



Read more...

Attorney General’s Hate Crimes Working Group releases recommendations to Legislature

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Multidisciplinary Hate Crime Advisory Working Group released its report to the Legislature and Gov. Jay Inslee today, outlining a comprehensive approach to better address hate crimes in Washington.
 
The group calls on the state to improve training for law enforcement, create new avenues for prosecutors to charge crimes and for schools and employers to better educate people about hate and bias.

“The need to improve how Washington state handles hate crimes has rarely been more clear or urgent,” Ferguson said. “This report provides a road map so we can demonstrate our commitment to the safety of all Washingtonians.”

Hate crimes in Washington

Washington state law defines a hate crime as an assault, threat, or property damage motivated by race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation or mental, physical or sensory disability.

State data showed an increase in reported hate crimes from 175 in 2002 to 534 in 2018. Hate crimes are historically underreported.

The Legislature created the working group with support from the Attorney General’s Office in the 2019 legislative session with the goal of developing strategies to raise awareness of hate crimes and enhance law enforcement and the public’s responses to hate crimes and incidents. 

Rep. Javier Valdez, D-46 sponsored the bill, which was co-sponsored by Reps. Ryu and Pollet, and the Attorney General’s Office testified in support.

The 15-member, bipartisan group, with diverse membership including law enforcement and affected communities, adopted its 20 recommendations without any dissenting votes. Most votes were unanimous. There were three abstentions.

More information HERE


Read more...

State Attorney General Ferguson report to Legislature: Require law enforcement statewide to report all uses of deadly force

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

State Attorney General
Bob Ferguson

Attorney General Bob Ferguson today released a report to the Washington State Legislature recommending policies that require law enforcement to report information about incidents involving deadly force.

The report also recommends that the state create a centralized, publicly accessible website with information about these incidents.

Currently, there is no single location where the public and lawmakers can obtain information about the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers in Washington state.

Deadly force refers to firearms discharges and incidents resulting in death or serious physical injury.

Some individual law enforcement agencies have chosen to make deadly force incident information routinely available, but transparency is not consistent across the state and the information is not compiled in one place.

In 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation created a national use-of-force reporting program, but the program is voluntary and only 10 percent of Washington law enforcement agencies currently participate. In addition, the information reported to that program is not publicly available.

More information HERE



Read more...

AG Ferguson urges Senate to reauthorize Violence Against Women Act

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Attorney General Bob Ferguson is leading a coalition of 24 attorneys general urging the U.S. Senate to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which expired more than a year ago. 

As isolation and uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic increases the risk to women in danger of domestic violence, the Senate must to act immediately, the attorneys general argue.

In April of 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill with bipartisan support reauthorizing the act, but after more than a year, the Senate has yet to take up consideration of the bill, nor has it taken up a companion bill sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

“The Violence Against Women Act has always been a bipartisan effort,” Ferguson said. “It’s mind-boggling that the Senate has declined to reauthorize it for more than a year. 

"The Violence Against Women Act provides resources that help survivors, aids prosecutions and helps protect law enforcement. As the COVID-19 pandemic keeps people at home with their abusers, I urge the Senate to reauthorize these important protections for women in danger of domestic violence.”

The Violence Against Women Act, originally passed in 1994, created an Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice, and provides billions of dollars for investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, as well as financial support to women in need.

The act has been reauthorized several times, most recently in 2013. Each time Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act, it expanded the protections under the law with bipartisan support.

Ferguson’s letter notes that the COVID-19 pandemic makes reauthorizing the act even more urgent, as measures to contain the virus can exacerbate isolation, uncertainty, and economic instability, directly impacting those in danger of domestic violence.

“Violence against women has been a public health crisis for generations, and the COVID-19 outbreak illustrates the urgent need to further strengthen protections for women under federal law,” the letter states.

Domestic violence is also a threat to law enforcement, the letter notes. According to a 2017 report by the U.S. Department of Justice, 29 percent of the 133 line-of-duty deaths responding to calls for service were related to domestic disputes.

The House bill expands the protections of the Violence Against Women Act by:
  • Strengthening protections for Native women by expanding jurisdiction of tribal courts over non-Native men who abuse Native women
  • Codifying important protections for LGBTQ individuals
  • Closing the “boyfriend loophole,” which allows certain abusive dating partners to continue possessing firearms under federal law

“Reauthorization of (the Violence Against Women Act) will not end the scourge of gender based violence, but it is an important step toward more fully addressing the tragic epidemic,” the letter states. 
“The importance of urgent action is underscored by the particular challenges faced by victims and survivors during the COVID-19 outbreak. 
"We urge you to move quickly to adopt the House-passed bill or the Senate companion sponsored by Senator Feinstein. Women in our states are counting on it.”

Ferguson is joined by the attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.



Read more...

AG Ferguson sends cease and desist letter to Seattle business selling COVID-19 “vaccine”

Wednesday, April 29, 2020



Attorney General Bob Ferguson is warning a Seattle-based business to stop selling and administering a so-called COVID-19 “vaccine.” Ferguson warns that if the company, North Coast Biologics, or its owner, Johnny T. Stine, don’t stop making false or unsupported claims about the product, they could face a lawsuit from Ferguson under the state Consumer Protection Act.

In a social media post, Stine claims to have developed a “vaccine” that has made him immune to COVID-19, and offers his “vaccine” for $400.

“Remember: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Ferguson said. 
“Scammers take advantage of fear and uncertainty to make you go against your better judgment. There is currently no proven treatment or vaccine for COVID-19. We will use all of the tools at our disposal to protect consumers during this public health emergency.”

In the letter, Ferguson notes that no effective treatment or vaccine for COVID-19 has been identified, and that “consumers should not have to worry about being misled about the health benefits of products that have not been evaluated or established as effective to treat or prevent the virus.

Ferguson calls on Stine to “immediately stop making misrepresentations about your COVID-19 ‘vaccine.’ ” Failing to do so, Ferguson warns, could result in a lawsuit filed by his office under the state Consumer Protection Act, which allows for a civil penalty of up to $2,000 per individual violation.

Scammers trying to capitalize on COVID-19 fears

Scammers are sending texts and emails promising to protect people from the virus, or offering cash payments to help weather the crisis. In reality, these messages are trying to obtain personal information, efforts known as phishing, or install harmful software on your device, called malware

Some types of software, known as ransomware, can be used to lock you out of your device until you pay the scammer. The risks of clicking unknown links are serious and real.

Washingtonians should be wary of these types of messages. Tips for avoiding COVID-19 scams:
  • Be skeptical — there is no cure for COVID-19.
  • Don’t click on links — they can be malicious.
  • Don’t provide your personal information to unknown sources who may be trying to get your personal or financial information.
  • Don’t donate money without researching who is asking for your money — there are many bogus charities offering to help.
Visit trusted resources for legitimate information about COVID-19, like government health departments or your healthcare provider.

The Attorney General’s Office is continuing to investigate reports of unfair business practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. To file a complaint, visit the Attorney General’s website



Read more...

AG Ferguson to gyms and fitness centers: Allow members to cancel memberships or face legal consequences

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Photo by Danielle Cerullo on Unsplash
In response to dozens of consumer complaints, Attorney General Bob Ferguson today sent an open letter to Washington fitness centers and gyms providing the following guidance:
  • Gyms and fitness centers must allow customers to cancel their memberships at any time, for any reason, including the inability to access their gym or fitness due to the global pandemic, provided those requests are issued in writing.
  • Members who cancel their gym and fitness center membership are legally entitled to a refund – not credits – of the unused portion of any prepaid fees or dues.
  • Fitness centers must pay the refund within 30 days of receipt of a written notice of cancellation.
  • Gyms and fitness centers cannot misrepresent these rights or prevent members from cancelling.

Ferguson’s letter warns that any gym failing to comply is violating the Washington State Consumer Protection Act, and will face legal action from his office.

“My office received dozens of complaints from Washington consumers that their fitness center is continuing to charge them membership fees in the midst of this crisis,” Ferguson said. “The law is clear: Washingtonians are allowed to cancel their gym memberships any time, for any reason.”

Ferguson’s guidance applies to all health studios, defined in the Washington State Health Studio Services Act as “any person or entity engaged in the sale of instruction, training, assistance or use of facilities which purport to assist patrons to improve their physical condition or appearance through physical exercise, bodybuilding, weight loss, figure development, the martial arts, or any other similar activity.”

Nothing in the law prohibits a fitness center from waiving the written requirement and accepting cancellations from its members by phone.

Gyms can also comply with the law by not charging membership fees until gyms can safely reopen.

Ferguson’s office responded to every consumer complaint he received regarding gyms and fitness centers. The letter states that the Attorney General’s Office has contacted many gyms and fitness centers that have already frozen memberships or issued refunds.

Consumer Protection lawsuits brought by the Attorney General’s Office can seek civil penalties of up to $2,000 per violation plus consumer restitution and reasonable attorney fees.

Anyone experiencing similar unfair business practices are encouraged to file a consumer complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.




Read more...

Judge blocks new Trump Administration effort to allow release of 3D-printed ghost guns in AG Ferguson lawsuit

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

3D printed gun
From the Office of the Attorney General

A federal judge has granted Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s request to block the Trump Administration’s latest effort to allow 3D-printed gun files to be released on the internet. 

These files would allow plug-and-play access to 3D-print unregistered, untraceable firearms that can also be very difficult to detect, even with a metal detector. 

Untraceable firearms are sometimes called “ghost guns.”

Judge Richard Jones, a George W. Bush appointee, ordered a preliminary injunction while Ferguson’s multistate lawsuit continues in Seattle in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

In his order, Judge Jones wrote:

“The Court must acknowledge the grave reality that is likely to occur without injunctive relief. As the agency’s specific findings in the record show, the proliferation of 3-D gun files on the internet likely renders ineffective arms embargoes, export controls, and other measures used to restrict the availability of uniquely dangerous weapons sought by those seeking to commit acts of terrorism or other serious crime — implicates serious national security and public interests.”

“These downloadable guns are unregistered and very difficult to detect, even with metal detectors," Ferguson said. 
"If the Trump Administration has its way, these ghost guns will be available to anyone regardless of age, mental health or criminal history. For the second time, we have blocked that effort in court. We will keep fighting back against this unlawful, dangerous policy as many times as it takes.”

As a result of Ferguson’s previous multistate lawsuit, a federal judge in Seattle struck down the Trump Administration’s prior attempt to allow the release of the files.

After losing in court, the Trump Administration is trying again, this time by publishing new rules that would transfer regulation of 3D-printed guns from the State Department to the Department of Commerce, effectively allowing their unlimited distribution.

In the rules, the administration acknowledges the dangers posed by the distribution of 3D-printed gun files: “Such items could be easily used in the proliferation of conventional weapons, the acquisition of destabilizing numbers of such weapons, or for acts of terrorism.”

However, due to loopholes in the Commerce regulations, the agency will lack the power to regulate 3D-printed guns in any meaningful way.

The judge’s order blocks the Trump Administration from transferring the 3D-printed gun files to Commerce and requires the State Department to continue regulating them while the multistate lawsuit continues.



Read more...

AG Bob Ferguson statement on COVID-19 scams

Friday, March 6, 2020

Attorney General Bob Ferguson offers the following statement warning consumers about possible scams preying on COVID-19 fears:

“Scammers often prey on fear. As the COVID-19 outbreak and response continue, Washingtonians may see people advertising products or services they claim treat or cure the disease. 
"There is no specific antiviral treatment recommended for COVID-19 at this time. Any claims that a product or service can cure, kill, or destroy COVID-19 are probably false, and should be reported to our office.”

Information on filing a complaint is available here



Read more...

AG Bob Ferguson statement on price gouging in public-health emergency

Thursday, March 5, 2020


State Attorney General Bob Ferguson offers the following statement:

“My office is investigating price gouging in the wake of the COVID-19 public-health emergency. We do not identify the targets of our investigations, but we are taking formal investigative actions. If you see price gouging, file a complaint with my office.”

Information on filing a complaint is available here.



Read more...

AG Ferguson: Court blocks Trump administration effort to divert Washington funds to border wall

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

A submarine sails through Puget Sound on its way
to Naval Base Kitsap in Bangor
Photo by John Slomnicki


On February 27, 2020, a federal judge reversed and permanently blocked the Trump Administration’s unlawful decision to “reprogram” funding for more nearly $89 million in congressionally approved military construction funding meant for Naval Base Kitsap to help build a wall along the U.S. southern border with Mexico.

Judge Barbara Rothstein in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington granted summary judgment in Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s lawsuit challenging the Administration. The Trump Administration’s unlawful decision would have diverted nearly $89 million from the Kitsap Peninsula’s Bangor submarine base.

“This judgment is an important victory for the rule of law, and the system of checks and balances our founders enshrined in our Constitution,” Ferguson said. 
“We’re looking forward to this $89 million being used the way Congress intended — to support a military construction project in Washington state.”

Gov. Jay Inslee said,

“I am pleased that the Court agreed that money from Washington state projects should not be diverted to help subsidize President Trump’s border wall. 
"Washington will continue to fight against any proposed efforts to move funds out of our state for unlawful and unconstitutional purposes. I thank the Attorney General for his continued fight on behalf of Washingtonians.”

Two federal judges — one in Texas and one in California — previously issued injunctions blocking the border wall project, but those injunctions have been lifted. This new ruling means that congressionally approved funding meant for Washington will not be diverted to that project.

This ruling marks the 25th legal victory for the Attorney General’s Office in litigation against the Trump Administration.

In February 2019, President Trump declared a “national emergency” to reallocate funds for his long-promised border wall despite the fact that Congress has repeatedly refused to approve the funding he requested.

Congress voted with a bipartisan majority to overturn President Trump’s “emergency” declaration with bipartisan support, but President Trump vetoed their legislative action.

Ferguson filed his lawsuit in September 2019, after the Trump Administration identified the specific military construction projects it intended to target — seven months after the “emergency” declaration.

Ferguson waited to file the lawsuit until the Trump Administration identified Washington projects that would be implicated.

A bipartisan group of more than 100 former members of Congress filed a brief in support of the challenge, along with the U.S. House of Representatives and 60 former national security and State Department officials who served presidents of both parties.





Read more...

Judge rules Eyman broke the law, concealed $766,000 in political contributions

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Judge rules that Tim
Eyman broke the law

From the Office of the Attorney General

A Thurston County Superior Court judge ruled Friday that Tim Eyman has committed more than 100 violations of multiple Washington state campaign finance laws by concealing $766,447 in political contributions. Eyman faces significant potential penalties which will be determined in July.

Judge James Dixon ruled that Eyman broke the law by failing to disclose the $766,447 in contributions in the form of multiple reports to the state Public Disclosure Commission over several years. The judge ruled that a total 110 reports are a combined 173,862 days late. Eyman remains in contempt of court for refusing to turn over information, for which the court has ordered him to pay daily monetary sanctions.

Washington campaign finance law allows penalties of up to $10 per day that each report is late. Eyman can also face an additional penalty of $766,447 — the amount concealed. Additionally, the penalty can be trebled if the judge finds his conduct was intentional. The office contends these violations were intentional and will be seeking triple penalties.

The penalty for these violations will be decided following the trial on the remaining issues in the case, set for July 13.

During its investigation, Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office discovered that Eyman solicited hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions for a political purpose, which he spent for his personal benefit. Eyman previously characterized the contributions as “gifts,” even though the Public Disclosure Commission specifically advised him in a 2002 letter that donations, such as for personal living expenses, “designed to enable you to continue your efforts of supporting initiatives” were political contributions subject to disclosure.

Today’s ruling did not address the original violations Ferguson and the Public Disclosure Commission asserted at the time Ferguson filed suit in March 2017 lawsuit, including the assertion that Eyman concealed a $308,185 kickback. Those issues, and others, will be resolved at trial.



Read more...

AG Ferguson’s bill banning solitary confinement as punishment for juveniles passes House with bipartisan support

Friday, February 14, 2020

Washington State Attorney General
Bob Ferguson
Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s agency-request legislation to ban solitary confinement as a punitive practice for juveniles passed the Washington State House of Representatives Thursday, in a strong bipartisan vote of 76-20.

There is a growing national consensus that placing juveniles in solitary confinement is inhumane and does not improve behavior. 

Studies have shown solitary confinement to be both emotionally and psychologically damaging for youth, as well as ineffective at improving behavior. 

Solitary confinement exacerbates stress and other mental health conditions, particularly for youth.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Signing on to the bill were Reps. Lauren Davis and Cindy Ryu from the 32nd LD (Shoreline) and Reps. Javier Valdez and Gerry Pollet from the 46th LD (Lake Forest Park)

“We must reform our criminal justice system to reduce recidivism,” Ferguson said. 
“Doing away with practices that evidence shows do not work, and actually make it harder to rehabilitate youth, is common sense. I remain deeply appreciative of the diverse, bipartisan coalition that has come together to support this legislation.”

“Solitary confinement has no place in juvenile facilities,” Rep. Peterson said. “It traumatizes youth and hurts their ability to learn and grow into adults who are effectively re-integrated into society. I’m proud to have helped pass this bill.”

Ferguson’s legislation places restrictions on the use of room confinement and isolation in youth detention facilities, but it does not prohibit those tools. The legislation requires that the use of isolation and room confinement be limited to a period of no more than four hours, and only for the purpose of safety. Moreover, the bill requires institutions to document any use of isolation or room confinement.

Fergusons’ legislation applies to both county and state facilities.

Ferguson’s legislation is supported by several organizations, including the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families, the American Civil Liberties Union, TeamChild, Columbia Legal Services and King County. Ten states, including California and Texas have passed similar laws.



Read more...

AG Ferguson statement on seeking Supreme Court review of Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Monday, January 6, 2020



SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson offers the following statement on asking the United States Supreme Court to review the lower court’s decision in a challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA):

Without the Affordable Care Act, hundreds of thousands of hardworking Washingtonians will lose access to affordable health care coverage, and many more will face devastating cost increases. That’s why Washington and a multistate coalition have stepped up to defend the Affordable Care Act, after the Trump Administration callously refused to defend the law. We’re asking the Supreme Court to protect Washingtonians’ access to affordable health care — and we expect to win.” 
A 20-state coalition including Washington is seeking review of a decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which held that the individual mandate is unconstitutional, but declined to further rule on the validity of the ACA’s remaining provisions. The court instead sent the case back to the Northern District of Texas to determine which provisions of the 900-page law are still valid. 
Republican Attorneys General, led by Texas, filed the challenge to the ACA in February 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. 
In a brief filed in June 2018, the Trump Administration declared that it would not defend the ACA against the challenge by the Republican Attorneys General. In a letter to Congressional leaders, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the decision not to defend the ACA was made “with the approval of the President of the United States.”
Because of the Administration’s decision, Ferguson and a multistate coalition filed a motion to intervene in the case on the side of the federal government to defend the ACA. This is not one of Ferguson’s 54 lawsuits against the Trump Administration. 
More than 800,000 Washingtonians depend on the ACA for their health care. Since the ACA went into effect, Washington’s uninsured rate dropped by 60 percent, and now fewer than 6 percent of Washingtonians are without health insurance. 
If the ACA is eliminated, Washingtonians would lose an average of $295 per month in federal premium subsidies, and more than 600,000 people enrolled in Apple Health as part of the ACA’s Medicaid expansion would lose coverage. Insurers would once again be allowed to discriminate based on medical history, and patients would again be subject to annual and lifetime limits to their health benefits

Ferguson has defended the ACA on multiple occasions, including defending against a previous challenge to the law by the U.S. House of Representatives, and filing a lawsuit to ensure critical funding would continue. Ferguson also filed two “friend of the court” briefs in cases challenging tax credits for low- and middle-income people buying health insurance (Halbig v. Burwell and King v. Burwell).




Read more...

Attorney General Ferguson garners first conviction under animal trafficking act

Friday, November 15, 2019

Genetic testing proved the figure
contained ivory
Photo courtesy Atty General's office

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced Thursday that Donald Frank Rooney of Everett has pleaded guilty to trafficking in species threatened with extinction under a voter-approved initiative banning the sale or transfer of products made from certain endangered species.

Rooney’s plea and sentencing in Snohomish County Superior Court represents the first-ever conviction under the Washington Animal Trafficking Act (WATA). Rooney was sentenced to 15 days in jail, 30 days of electronic home monitoring, and will pay a $10,000 fine and a $4,000 criminal wildlife penalty paid to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to help fund future enforcement.

In addition to three items Rooney sold to Fish and Wildlife detectives that genetic testing confirmed contained ivory, he will also forfeit over 1,500 similar items found in his home.

Ferguson filed the criminal charges against Rooney under WATA in April.

The charges against Rooney were among the first brought under WATA, which was created by voter-approved Initiative 1401. More than 70 percent of Washington voters approved I-1401 in 2015. The law took effect in 2016. 

It is a felony to sell ivory objects
Photo courtesy Atty General's office

WATA makes it a felony to sell, purchase, trade or distribute parts of specific endangered or vulnerable species of elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, lion, leopard, cheetah, pangolin, marine turtle, shark or ray.

In late 2017, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) detectives contacted Rooney after reviewing online listings for items they believed may contain elephant ivory.

The detective went to Rooney’s home, and observed dozens of items that possibly contained ivory. The detective purchased three items believed to contain elephant ivory, which genetic testing confirmed. Officers later executed a search warrant on his home, and, as a result, confiscated more than 1,500 additional items.

The Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the cases at the request of the Snohomish county Prosecutor’s Office. The Attorney General’s Office generally does not have original criminal authority, and cannot prosecute crimes without a request from a county prosecutor or the governor.
Assistant Attorney General Scott Marlow and AAG Brad Roberts with the Attorney General’s Counsel for Environmental Protection handled the case for Washington.

Attorney General Ferguson created the Counsel for Environmental Protection in 2016 to protect our environment and the safety and health of all Washingtonians.



Read more...

GeekWire: Should Facebook ban political ads? ...our state forces the issue

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Mark Zuckerberg testifies in congress
Photo from YouTube video
Fascinating article in GeekWire about Facebook's political ads and our state's attempts to protect ourselves and hold Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg to our laws.

Mark Zuckerberg defended Facebook’s decision to continue running political ads this week, despite concerns about disinformation, in a passionate speech about free expression at Georgetown University. 
But a legal crackdown in Washington state raises questions about whether Facebook could rein in political advertising even if it wanted to.

This week, Zuckerberg was grilled by a congressional committee. His response was a passionate plea for free speech.

But with the memory of Russian interference in the 2016 election fresh, and 2020 rapidly approaching, Facebook’s policies on political ads will remain under a microscope. Because of that, Washington state’s unique ad regulations could serve as a case study as federal regulators and voters decide what role the social network should play in spreading political messaging.

Should Facebook ban political ads? Here’s what happened when one state tried to force the issue



Read more...

State obtains $2.5 million in federal grants to process rape kits and test sex offenders

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Attorney General Bob Ferguson recently announced that his office won an additional $2.5 million in federal grants to fund Washington’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) program, part of a statewide initiative to end Washington’s rape kit backlog.

Of the new funds, $1 million will fund a new effort to add DNA profiles of thousands of convicted offenders across Washington — court-ordered DNA tests that still haven’t been collected — to the national DNA evidence database. 

This new DNA information will make it more likely for a newly tested sexual assault kit to result in a “hit,” connecting the DNA evidence from the kit to a known offender. These hits are crucial to solving cold cases and identifying serial rapists.

The office will use the remaining $1.5 million to test backlogged kits, train law enforcement and hire additional personnel to support the SAKI team.

“This is an important step toward justice for sexual assault survivors,” Ferguson said. “The funding we’ve won today will help us to both continue to test backlogged evidence and start gathering DNA information on convicted criminals. The more information we can get on repeat offenders, the more cases we can solve.”

More information on the ongoing project is available on the Attorney General's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative webpage.



Read more...
ShorelineAreaNews.com
Facebook: Shoreline Area News
Twitter: @ShorelineArea
Daily Email edition (don't forget to respond to the Follow.it email)

  © Blogger template The Professional Template II by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP