Jenner & Block welcomed four of the nation’s highest-profile state leaders—Attorney General Rob Bonta (CA), Attorney General Leticia James (NY), Attorney General Dana Nessel (MI), and Attorney General Kwame Raoul (IL)—for a conversation around their key initiatives and priorities over the next four years
Dawn Smalls, Partner in the Government Controversies Practice at Jenner & Block, introduced the panel Tuesday, moderated by Brian Hauck, Co-Chair of Jenner’s State Attorneys General Practice, as part of the firm’s Democratic National Convention (DNC) related events. Ann O’Leary, Co-Chair of Jenner’s Government Controversies Practice and former Chief of Staff to the Governor of California Gavin Newsom, gave closing remarks.
The panel discussed priorities such as organized retail crime, social media algorithms, and more. An overview of the key themes of the discussion are outlined below:
Upcoming Election
When it comes to core issues of protecting the public’s interest on safety, consumer rights, and the impact of technology on our lives, the State Attorneys General stated that the values and priorities of their offices will not change, regardless of who wins the 2024 election. But if former President Trump wins the election, these Blue State AGs indicated that they are preparing to fight against an agenda that threatens reproductive rights, the environment and causes chaos that impacts our very democracy.
Organized Retail Crime
Organized retail crime is an issue the State Attorney Generals are trying to mitigate. Several State Attorney Generals discussed their efforts to create retail crime task forces in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local law enforcement. These task forces have been successful in investigating smash-and-grab crimes as well as crimes involving major retail fraud, recovering hundreds of millions for taxpayers.
Social Media Algorithms
Social media algorithms and the effects they have on consumers is a continuing priority for the State Attorney Generals. The Attorney Generals described their concerns with algorithmic feeds on social media and their effects on children. They also discussed possible bans on cellphones during school hours.
Data breaches
The State Attorney Generals cited the protection of the personal information of consumers as a priority stating that consumers have a right to have their data deleted if it has been collected, and that privacy should be in the hands of the consumers. They specifically discussed data breaches in relation to healthcare, noting that health care providers are unable to do anything when they do not have access to medical records. One Attorney General described partnering with Homeland Security and the FBI to provide training for other governmental agencies and businesses.
Price Gouging
Price gouging, now and during the height of the pandemic, is a pressing matter for the State Attorney Generals. They noted that the prices of baby formula and eggs increased tenfold during the pandemic, and that they received many price gouging complaints during that time period.
“The panel was inspiring,” said Partner Ann O’Leary in her closing remarks. She noted that the State Attorney Generals are all deeply rooted in their communities and are prioritizing lifting people up who have not traditionally had power in communities.
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