The holiday weekend featured a lot of smoke blowing from far-right state officials.
Far-right Attorneys General blasted “Happy Labor Day” wishes to their constituents across their social media platforms – attempting to position themselves as defenders of working people. And yet, many of these same AGs are actively seeking to use the courts to cut workers’ federal minimum wages and wage protections.
In four challenges in six federal courts across the country, more than a dozen Attorneys General in LA, MS, ID, IN, NE, SC, AL, AR, GA, MO, MT, OK, AZ and TX are using taxpayer dollars to attack wage policies and protections advanced by the Biden administration. This hypocrisy should be called out for what it is: an attack on working people.
Representing America
We provide legal representation and expert counsel to people and communities who make up the fabric of American democracy. Here are some highlights from our latest work.
Submitted
Holding Government Officials Accountable
In response to New Orleans officials’ vow to not enforce the state’s ban on abortion, Louisiana’s Attorney General requested that the State Bond Commission “bring them to heel” by withholding funding for flood control. In a move that even Republican lawmakers have called “problematic,” the Commission voted to delay a $39 million future line of credit intended to prevent catastrophic floods in New Orleans.
The Commission’s inhumane action at the direction of AG Landry is an abuse of power that will endanger New Orleanians’ lives. We are seeking records from the state to help ensure the public receives the full transparency it deserves.
Update
Helping Parents Push Back Against Book Censorship in Granbury, TX
Chris Tackett, a parent in Granbury, TX, is seeking records related to the district’s alleged plans to review books related to LGBTQ issues. On his behalf, we requested communications between the Granbury ISD’s Superintendent and trustees regarding efforts to strip books from school library shelves. To date, the District has provided only a handful of documents, and has also informed us that the Superintendent likely deleted any such text messages – a potential violation of state records retention laws.
Just Files
Protecting the Security of Retirement Savings for Workers
A federal law known as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) sets minimum standards for most retirement and health plans in private industry. To protect individuals in these plans, Congress allowed individual workers to sue on behalf of the plan. But some corporations try to block such suits by slipping waivers into their contracts.
Stories Worth Following
- The Texas Tribune Veterans Affairs says it will provide abortions — even in Texas
- Bloomberg Law California Moves to Give Fast Food Workers Say in Regulations
- The Atlantic The Right-Wing War on Free Speech Could Backfire
What We’re Monitoring
- The New York Times A Second Constitutional Convention? Some Republicans Want to Force One
- AP News Lawyer’s mission: Translate Tenn.’s bewildering abortion ban
- The Strict Scrutiny Podcast Debunking the Independent State Legislature Fantasy
Sidebar
Listen: President & CEO Skye Perryman Featured on WURD’s Reality Check
“Just because the Supreme Court has made a series of decisions that many people believe are harmful to people and communities, it doesn’t mean that we can give up on legal advocacy and on meeting these threats in the courts.”
Yesterday, Skye appeared live on WURD’s Reality Check to discuss the upcoming Supreme Court term, President Biden’s speech from Philadelphia, and other news affecting our democracy.