State AG Pulse
Cozen O'Connor
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Welcome to State AG Pulse, presented by Cozen O’Connor’s State AG Group. State AG Pulse is a limited series podcast that leverages our decades of experience to help business leaders navigate the 2022 state AG elections and understand and manage related opportunities and risks.
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4 days ago
NJ AG Takes on AI-backed Crypto Tool That Claims 1000% Returns
In Season 3 of State AG Pulse which will launch in Fall 2023, we’ll be bringing you a new approach to state AG news. Each week we’ll choose one story from our curated summary of the week’s state AG news to explore in greater detail, tease out the key themes and provide new insights into the role of State AGs. In this special sneak preview, Chris Allen and Emily Yu dig into a story from last week’s state AG news about a cryptocurrency scheme that set off flares in state AG world.
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May 15, 2023
Iowa: Taking a Commonsense Approach
Whether she is preparing to enforce Iowa’s new privacy laws, or working through solutions with businesses in the state, newly-elected Iowa AG Brenna Bird’s philosophy is underpinned by a common sense approach. In conversation with fellow Midwesterner Meghan Stoppel and former Virginia AG Jerry Kilgore, she talks about helping crime victims, recalibrating the office to best serve Iowans, and juggling her busy schedule with the demands of a young family.
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May 1, 2023
The Broad Sweep of State AGs’ Antitrust Authority
State AGs have a wide range of tools they can use to hold companies accountable. Milton Marquis, Jerry Kilgore and Ann-Marie Luciano explore AGs’ power to prevent anticompetitive business conduct ranging from no-poach agreements and illegal non-competes to collusion and price-fixing.
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Apr 17, 2023
The Age of the Multistate is Here
Attorney General Keith Ellison has counseled Minnesota through a period of dramatic social and economic change in the wake of the pandemic, including the nationwide social justice protests in connection with the shooting of George Floyd by a police officer in May 2020. In conversation with Lori Kalani and Chris Allen, he talks about the demands on his office, his new hires and how he is collaborating with other states in multistate actions and adding resources to better serve the people and businesses of Minnesota.
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Apr 3, 2023
State AGs and Feds: The Dynamics of Influence & Collaboration
Even when state AGs are not specifically authorized in a particular area, they can still be highly influential on their federal counterparts when it comes to regulation, enforcement, rulemaking and interpretation of statutes. Our team digs into state/federal collaboration: the who, what, why and how.
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Mar 20, 2023
Nebraska: Listening and Learning
New Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers describes himself as a very strong conservative who believes in openness in relationships and is committed to ensuring that people feel that they are being heard. In conversation with Lori and Meghan, he expands on the philosophy that underpins his dealings with AG office staff, businesses and state AG colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
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Mar 6, 2023
Attorneys General as State Policymakers: The NY Model
State AGs can be powerful players when it comes to state policymaking and are increasingly weighing in on proposed federal policy and rulemakings. In New York, AG James has been deferential to state and local policymakers while often collaborating with other state AGs on issues NY state voters and legislators care about. In this episode we compare and contrast the New York model with the ways AGs engage in policymaking in other states.
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Feb 20, 2023
Illinois: Getting Stronger Through Adversity
Following his recent reelection, Lori Kalani and Ann-Marie Luciano talk with Attorney General Kwame Raoul about some of the challenges his office faced in his first term and how he led the office though them. From COVID, to a major cyberattack, to national assaults on voting rights, General Raoul explains how those challenges have impacted his priorities going into his second term, and made his office stronger.
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Feb 6, 2023
Money, Money, Money: Where does it go and why?
In this episode we draw back the curtain on attorney general settlements, including an AG’s statutory authority and motives, and the factors that determine the size and composition of a settlement, and provide insights to help businesses negotiate for the best possible outcome.
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Jan 21, 2023
I View Businesses As Poverty Destroyers
In the first episode in Season Two, new Virginia AG Jason Miyares dispels the myth that AGs are anti-business. He talks about how he views businesses as victims when it comes to data breaches and seeks to work with them rather than blame them.
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Nov 14, 2022
Elections Are About The Future
In this special post-election episode, host Lori Kalani talks with her partners Jerry Kilgore, Milton Marquis, Paul Connell and Mira Baylson about the outcomes in last Tuesday’s state AG races and the issues and trends that played into the results.
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Aug 1, 2022
Season Finale: 2022 AG Election Wrap-Up
Bernie makes his final predictions before we return after the 2022 general election to analyze the results. He, Lori and Mira review the incumbents and the challengers, talk about who may ride in on whose coattails, and speculate on the make-up of what looks like a bumper freshman class of AGs entering office in 2023.
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Jul 25, 2022
In Massachusetts, What Will Sway The Voters?
With little air between them, and similar left-of-center positions and platforms, the three Democratic candidates vying for the Massachusetts AG’s office need to find other ways to differentiate themselves in the minds of voters. Bernie, Mira and Milton, who previously worked in the MA AG’s office, offer their theories on what will make the difference to Massachusetts primary voters on September 6.
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Jul 18, 2022
Winner Takes All in Kansas
Winner Takes All in Kansas by Cozen O'Connor
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Jul 11, 2022
Money Is the Mother's Milk of Politics
Arizona’s demographics are changing, and this now purple state is in many ways a national bellwether. With a crowded Republican field in the down-ballot AG race, Jerry Kilgore and Paul Connell postulate that it’s money that will separate the candidates and determine AG Brnovich’s successor. They discuss the candidates that have it… and those that don’t.
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Jun 29, 2022
The Democrats: Playing Their Best Chess Match
In this week’s episode, which is chock full of predictions, Lori, Bernie and Chris engage with Sean Rankin, President of DAGA, on his perceptions of the red wave and Democratic winners and losers. They discuss the complex interplay between state and national politics, which Sean likens to a chess match, the Democratic Party’s priorities for incumbent protection, and some potential surprises coming out of left field.
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Jun 20, 2022
The Politician v. The Judge: Maryland’s Primary
The two leading contenders for Maryland AG come from very different backgrounds: Anthony Brown is a past Maryland Lieutenant Governor, Congressman and long-time politician. Katie O’Malley, while she comes from a storied political family, has built her career as a District Court Judge in Baltimore City. In this week’s podcast, host Bernie and his State AG Group colleagues Milton Marquis and Chris Allen debate what this means for their election prospects and the future of the Maryland AG’s office.
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Jun 13, 2022
Local Job, National Impact
In this week’s episode, Lori gets together with fellow State AG Group members Maria Colsey Heard and Ann-Marie Luciano to talk about the evolution of the DC Office of the Attorney General from a municipal office into a national powerhouse, Karl Racine’s legacy as its first elected AG, and how each of the candidates is likely to follow through on that legacy. They reflect on this year’s contentious race and explore DC’s unique position as both a city with pressing local issues, especially related to housing, and the seat of the federal government.
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Jun 6, 2022
Legendary Former AGs Bemoan the State of Bipartisanship
In this week’s episode, Lori and fellow State AG Group team member Mira Baylson are in conversation with former AGs Frank Sue Del Papa of Nevada and Betty Montgomery of Ohio, both phenomenal leaders with distinguished track records of achievement in their states. They talk about the overall rise in the number of multi-states and provide their perspectives on the era-defining Master Tobacco settlement of 1998. They bemoan the state of bipartisanship and campaign advertising and ponder the impact of gender on leadership.
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May 23, 2022
New Mexico and the Plaintiff’s Bar Money-Go-Round
This week Bernie and Lori engage with State AG team member Chris Allen on the race in New Mexico, where the AG’s office is likely to stay blue but a red wave, if it comes, could shake things up. They also ponder AGs’ use of outside counsel to supplement – or supplant - internal AG staff resources.
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May 16, 2022
Republicans Forecast A Red Wave
In this week’s episode, hosts Bernie Nash and Jerry Kilgore talk with Pete Bisbee of the Republican Attorneys General Association about what RAGA is, how it recruits candidates, and how it raises money to fund races. They speculate on election winners and losers, which Democrats may be vulnerable, how many seats the Republications hope to pick up in November, and where. Jerry challenges Pete to make his “Pete’s just crazy” prediction, and asks what it would take for the Republicans to play in California, Oregon and other historically “blue” states.
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May 8, 2022
Bless Your Heart, Arkansas
In this week’s episode, Bernie and Lori chat with Paul Connell, previously Chief Deputy AG in Wisconsin and Cozen O’Connor’s resident expert on the Arkansas AG race. We review the candidates’ backgrounds and qualifications and try our hand at picking who will win the race in November. We consider how the leading candidate’s background is likely to influence his priorities should he be elected, and discuss Arkansas’ open-door policy and the benefits it confers for businesses seeking to know what is on an AG’s mind.
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Apr 30, 2022
Nebraska: An Insider’s Perspective
In this week’s episode, we get an insider’s perspective on the Nebraska open seat race and its political and business significance from Meghan Stoppel, who served as Consumer Protection Chief under the current AG, Doug Peterson, from 2017 to 2021.
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Apr 24, 2022
Introducing State AG Pulse
Welcome to the inaugural episode of State AG Pulse. From now until August, we’re excited to bring you our insights and commentary on the 2022 state attorney general elections, and why they matter for business leaders. In this first episode, Pulse hosts Lori Kalani and Bernie Nash talk with Karen White, Executive Director of the Attorney General Alliance. They provide a quick “AGs101” tutorial and discuss just how powerful AGs really are. They also preview key issues in the eight open seat races and note which incumbents are at risk in their state races, including some surprises so far in the run up to and early primaries. The discussion also touches on how much it costs to run an election campaign, whether money matters, and the impact of national politics on state races. For all this and more, check out this week’s episode.
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