Virginia. Okay, we are going to get started pretty again good morning, Mark Ehlinger partner in jefferson city, missouri. Its a pleasure to start the conference off but maybe i am a little biased to say is traditionally the best panel. Nothing you have to worry about too much snow high bar to get over. We are not going to lower expectations, or going to raise them. This is the panel that really looks everyone of the room know whats going on in the nation. Well hear lots of stuff about d. C. Whats going on in washington, d. C. It is our capitol and the hub of federal government. But scum is most people know of the United States i dont know that you listed too many ants of the state is a republican the concept is federalism states are independent laboratories of democracy to come up with their own ways of doing things. We are fortunate in the United States theres 50 estates 50s attorney general all a little different. All with different priorities. Thats really where the rubber hits the road. Particularly as we all know in the current environment we have a crushing bureaucracy and the overlords in washington continue to impose more and more dictates on the republicans attorney general that are at the forefront and frankly the lead in the vanguard of the war against the overbreadth of federal government and taking away our rights im pleased to get to moderate this threestar attorney generals. I did not know what order you were all going to sit in well start with the rows between the thorns, no offense intended. She was elected in 20221st republican to hold that position since 1979. Congratulations and overcoming a longtime democrat. [applause] before taking office brenda served as a prussic at the Fremont County attorney in Guthrie County attorney. She was in private practice works in the iowa governors office, house of representatives. Taught as an adjunct professor at the university of iowa school of law and that this is interesting at the university of Chicago School of law she helped entrepreneurs on chicagos south side start their own business but look at that, that is great. So welcome brenna. At the far end attorney general Steve Marshall he currently serves the 48th attorney general of the state of alabama. David is inherent somewhat weak and cute the song now. He served attorney general since 2017 as attorney general he has committed to make it a safer place to live, to make alabama a safer place to live in in 2018 at the vanguard Start Initiative on violent crime. Since that launch the initiative has a launched arrest of hundreds of violence of violent offenders across the state of alabama making streets sake. He worked as a District Attorney in Marshall County he helped draft impasse i think i will get this right the lodi attic of law that makes it a crime to injure or kill an unborn child. So welcome general marshall. [applause] only because its alphabetical order left but not alan wilson is attorney general South Carolina. When you give me a shout out racing to the airport at 4 00 a. M. This morning from indianapolis to be hear from another event last night so we can make it to another event later today. Thank you so much for coming attorney general. He is projected south got it right to work laws he led the cheap 26 state challenge and federal healthcare mandate said. He has successfully defended South Carolina voter identification law which is really critical as we know. Has fought to protect immigration laws that court also. He is also a colonel in the South Carolina national guard. Previously served in iraq where he earned a combat action badge. Please join me in welcoming attorney general. Already started here were going to lay the groundwork for how come attorneys in general are on the vanguard here especially in the cooperative actions that we see. Attorney general wilson, when we start with you. Can you talk a little bit about the cooperative action how we ended up the hub of that . Which thank you marta appreciate you you as is my second time speaking to this organization is medical peers i love to this organization which was i did get up at 4 00 a. M. From a vet i got up in indianapolis to get here for this event. It was well worth it. I start to drool im halfway through my first cap book coffee and working on for hours asleep i beg your indulgence. I like to start off with before we get to the meat of what were doing right now it is important for everyone in this room to understand how the republican attorneys general inc. And how we evolved over time to be who we are today. How we Work Together. Back in the old days and but old days 13, 14, 15 years ago and beyond. Ag were in our respective states we had our state issues. We would occasionally come together as the National Association of attorneys general presents was it for decades we work on tobacco, some cross state issues. But for the most part we were more reserved and on his elevated position has weve all become in the last 20 years. I want to say this i was elected in 2010. It was formed in the late 19s. Ill talk about that in the Second Period but before say anything else one is elected i was elected at the age of 37. 2011 took off as of the youngest attorney general in the country. With the election of brenna who is replace the former ag about whos the longestserving attorney general going back to the late 70s i became the dean n of all ags in the country is felt wildness of turning general prayer and look at the back of the room my 2010 classes and it really hot you heard of scott pruitt, pam bondi, you have heard of luthers strange former u. S. Senator, we had a great class of ages that came in. Another what was my very dear friend Kansas Attorney should bit whos standing in the back of the room. [applause] soon to be hopefully congressman and derek schmidt. He was inaugurated two days before me. When he rolled out of office last and generally put out a press releasing his longestserving attorney general in the country which is technically true for two days. Then i got re inaugurated from a fourth term i became the longest serving attorney general. But is formed in late 90s and at that time i think there were a total of 14 Republican Ags out of the 56 states and territories should 14 republican at that time if i recall. There are only for ags insistent on forming the republican attorneys general association. At that time the main caucus was National Association of ags. Attorneys in general at that time felt the Mission Statement had trended a little weight from the priorities that were republicans because they were such a minority there issues and their priorities were not being looked at appropriately. So some staff folks decided to put together the Republican Ag Association went to the rnc senatorial committees the governorship all these republican caucuses we would like to create one rnc was like thats great you should do that. We will give you an office but were not going to give you any money. We are not going to give you support other than letting you sit here. A couple years later early 2002 weve got to get you all out of here they reform the campaignfinance law remember it was not even incorporated. It was a title on a letterhead it was a pdf emblem. The staff went out and said ags do not draw enough attention like governors, senators and congresspeople do we are going to create a thing called rs lc. The republican ag staff Republican State Leadership Committee as an Umbrella Organization and then it jumped up under think of out a really big stripmall and it was the corner anchor store. For the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association was out of the republican secretaries of state the Republican Legislative Committee was then added. For approximately the next 10 years those other committees were under it. Well, i came into office in 2011 within two three years the Republican Ags had out grown our stripmall. We wanted to be a standalone organization so we left rs lc base of the sort of 0 and the bank. I actually thought it was my first iteration is chairman basically then executive director jessica it was working at a starbucks on her personal laptop as we are scrambling to raise money we had like eight on the ballot going into 2014 is my first reelection cycle. So since that time it has grown with for ags as a principal members a total of 14 in the country i think we are at 27 Republican Ags right now. When you think about the map of states in the country of the 50 plus ags including states and territories i believe 4446 states are popularly elected bit for five states to governor appoints the attorney general and the state of maine i believe the legislature appoints the attorney general. Many people in from tennessee . Locate your Supreme Court appoints the attorney general i do not know how thats not a conflict of interest. They did a great job but there are the one state that does it to the Supreme Court. So it has become the Republican Ag Association has become the vehicle for which eight geez come together. In 2012 the Obama Administration passed the Affordable Care act the first time i recall all the states outside of tobacco settlements and other bipartisan issues like the republican states coalesced around a single issue challenge the Affordable Care act also known as obama cap federal cases frustration was overreaching. Remind people its a state that create the federal government of the federal government that carried the state. We think that in mind we started to Work Together in tandem precious many answers as we could to confine the overreach of the Obama Administration. President trump was are not going to come took office the democrat said thats a great idea this started doing the same thing. Through their vehicle the democratic Ag Association challenging the Trump Administration we begin the go works of democracy but we were defending things like remain in mexico. A little policy that really was stopping everything from happening at the border. That was present on the first to the Biden Administration and now we have the probably have. Were out there defending President Trump in his initiatives. Now he finds ourselves back on the other side of the wall trying to protect our country through the rule of law as a coalition of ags. That is how it was formed for the till we all came together and thats the model of a g and how we model together around the country revokes it hurt how we all came together. And how we got involved in these actions to stop so the federal government outreach. It seems like there has to be a strategy on how you pick these actions and put the panels the for lack of a better turn together. General marshall skews me of how you package of lawsuits . Work so it start by sharing a story greg abbott was asked when he was a g during the obama ministration was a typical day like for the attorney general question set to come to work as to the federal government, i go home. Left. [laughter] not completely accurate but the reality is that truly has become more and more the daily responsibility of the attorney general across the country. Alan talked a little bit historically you see that as a political arm. Its a collective policy work we have done that i am the most proud of its a testament to who we are and what we are about. So far to date we have found collectively among attorneys attorneygeneral one or 55 separe lawsuits against the Biden Administration. You can pair that was what her 35 cases filed by democratic ag during the entire Trump Administration so we have been active. I would tell you the Trump Administration officials with echo effect it was that litigation that hampered much of their ability to engage in the Regulatory Reform if i was so important. We have been able to top what theyve done interestingly our democratic colleagues became fans of federalism and believed in the rule of law. I laugh at that. But really proud of the work we have been able to do in the things we have been able to accomplish. But here is also the reality of the situation. It involves resources and assets we have to bring to bear in initiating these respective cases. One thing that gets lost the people do not recognize the absolute quality we have on our solicitors Generals Office across the country but we have been able to attract really bright, talented lawyers. Its why that group became such Fertile Ground or the Trump Administration for the appointment on our district and circuit ventures across the country. For us to build check those good lawyers is the work they cant do anywhere else. Thats one thing theres been unique in the development of ag over the last 20 years. One thing we have attempted to do is to align the resources we have across the country with the respective interests of the attorneys general themselves or its aligned with the interests of their states the reality is we dont sue every regulation we dont like every law we dont like come from congress. The question for us as impact the states adversely question what does impact our economy and does it violate the rule of law . If it does have the opportunity to engage on issues that will talk a little bit about during this panel. You will also talk about throughout the course of the day. Youre going to find for example West Virginia and kentucky are going to take the lead on Energy Issues because of direct attack on fossil fuel around coal. Youll see alabama lead the First Amendment liberty issues thats very much in interest that i have. And so what we have tried to do is create specialties within states and allow the unique talents of our lawyers to be able to lead across the country. One thing that has come to bear think brent is going to talk about in a minute, our position on universal injunctions and what that does on the litigation front. So that we also understand were not going to use the democratic philosophy and finding some small trial judge in the Second Circuit or in the ninth circuit to dictate that the regulatory policies across the country. Thats one thing democrats and very effectively and philosophically i dont think those of us of the table agree with. I think we have a Supreme Court justice is to feel the. But we have attempted to do is develop a coalition, file and multiple jurisdictions to be able to get the relief we want. One of things that is unique right now is the waters of the u. S. Have been a transcendent issue across the country. Right now as a result of litigation we have roughly 26 states that are subject to the trump era rule those have not sued or subject to the bite and rule. All because we been able to develop coalitions that have gotten the appropriate relief but is also did something with self to fight at the regulatory level. So, weve got a really talented team of come together analyzing what is coming from the various agencies with this administration which are on overdrive right now. We attempt to use the resources and expertise we have two attacked the appropriate issues of the date which i look forward to talk about of the course of this panel provokes thing to general marshall come appreciated. Before he jumped in the next question their index cards on your table. If you have a question for the attorneys general please write on the index card hold it up seven will come by and pick it up we will catch those at the end of the panel. So we talk about cooperative action the successes and how those are kind of put together. One of the key components of that is the concept of universal injunction or National Injunction, we use different terms. So general bird could you talk about the use of these universal injunctions and the impact of them . What is the future . Works thank you mark. First of all, let me piggyback on something Steve Marshall was talking about. The number of lawsuits we have had to file against this administration for the illegal action. Some peat times people ask how many times have you sued the administration or the epa . My answer is this. I wish it was zero we would have to sue them at all if they were just following the law. If they would follow the law rather than engage in lawmaking at the executive branch level we would not need to go to court to stand up for the rule of law. Over glad to stand in the gap and hold the federal government accountable all of us wish they would actually follow the law and not engage in things as mass student debt cancellation with no legal basis, which hurt farmers to very important issue in iowa coming from a farm i was so glad to be part of that. We would like to get to a day were the federal government follows the laws and constitution just like everybody else