2022 NAAG Capital Forum Recap
From Dec. 6-8, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) hosted its annual Capital Forum event, where members of the attorney general community and federal officials gathered to discuss the latest legal developments and the top legal issues facing our country.
The event kicked off a day early on Dec. 5 for the New Attorney General Orientation, where newly elected or appointed attorneys general learned about the history, scope, and authority of their respective offices. The remainder of Capital Forum was filled with panels featuring attorneys general, members of their staff, and federal officials, as well as other events including a reception at the Supreme Court and several opportunities for attendees to network with each other.
2023 Leadership
NAAG members elected new officers during their business meeting. The members first voted on and approved changes to NAAG’s constitution, which will require that NAAG’s President and other leadership positions alternate political parties each year. While North Carolina Attorney General Josh Steinwas elected as President-Elect in 2021, General Stein graciously ceded the role to comply with this new constitutional rule. In his stead, NAAG members elected Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, to serve as NAAG President in 2023. General Stein will instead serve as Immediate Past President for 2023.
The Executive Committee also includes Oregon Attorney General Ellen F. Rosenblum as President-Elect and New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella as Vice President. More information about NAAG’s leadership can be found here.
2022 Annual Awards
Each year, NAAG gives out five awards recognizing members of the attorney general community for their service in a variety of areas. This year, NAAG also announced the creation of the Miller-Wasden Unity Award, which will honor attorneys general for their service and their commitment to civility and bipartisanship. The award was named for Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, who were selected as the inaugural recipients of the award.
The Kelley-Wyman Award, given annually to the attorneys general who have done the most to advance the objectives of NAAG, was award to Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson and District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine. NAAG also recognized members of the attorney general community with the Attorney General Senior Staff of the Year Award; the Attorney General Career Staff of the Year Award; the NAGTRI Faculty of the Year Award; and the Laurie Loveland Award. More information about the 2022 award recipients can be found here.
Issues of Importance
At the 2022 Capital Forum, NAAG was joined by several federal officials to discuss legal issues relevant to their work. On Tuesday, Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President and Commissioner for Competition for the European Commission, spoke with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson about applying antitrust laws in a global environment. General Weiser and Wyoming Attorney General Bridget Hill later spoke with Vanita Gupta, U.S. Associate Attorney General, about how attorneys general can engage with federal policymakers on important topics.
On Wednesday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta spoke with Anne Milgram, Administrator from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), about fentanyl, the opioid epidemic, and other emerging concerns for the DEA. Later in the afternoon, Guam Attorney General Leevin Camacho and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum were joined by Lina M. Khan, Chairperson for the Federal Trade Commission, and Rohit Chopra, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, to discuss the FTC and CFPB’s upcoming regulatory and policy priorities.
On Thursday, attendees received updates from the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the State Department regarding the offices’ priority issues for 2023 and how they work in tandem with attorneys general. Other important issues covered include facial recognition, multistate settlements, consumer protection, and veterans affairs. View the full agenda for more on the featured panelists and the topics they covered.
Closing
NAAG looks forward to kicking off General Yost’s Presidential Initiative, which will be officially announced in early January. We look forward to hosting the community at more exciting events in 2023 and continuing our advocacy efforts on behalf of state and territory attorneys general and the community as a whole.
