AG Ferguson’s statement after successfully defending high-capacity magazine sales ban in federal court.

 

Source link: https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-s-statement-after-successfully-defending-high-capacity-magazine

YAKIMA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson released the following statement today after a federal judge in Yakima rejected an attempt by the Silent Majority Foundation to block Washington’s ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines:

“Washington state is undefeated in court against challenges to Washington’s common-sense firearm safety laws. My office wrote this law. It is constitutional. It will save lives. I look forward to continuing to successfully defend it.”

Background

In March of 2022, the Washington Legislature passed the law, requested by Ferguson, which bans the sale of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood. Ferguson had pursued the policy every year since 2016, after a 19-year-old used an assault weapon and a high-capacity magazine to kill three students and seriously wound a fourth in Mukilteo. 

A few months after the shooting, in September 2016, Ferguson stood beside parents of shooting victims, legislators, mayors, police chiefs and representatives of the faith community and vowed to continue proposing legislation to ban the sale of high-capacity magazines every year until it passed.

Thirteen states, including Washington, and the District of Columbia all restrict high-capacity magazines. In November, Oregon joined Washington after voters there approved Measure 114, which restricted magazine capacity and required a permit to purchase firearms in Oregon.

Washington’s law went into effect in July of 2022. Though the plaintiffs in the case argued that they are “irreparably” harmed by it, they did not seek a preliminary injunction to block the law for more than three months after it was in effect. 

Today, U.S. District Court Judge Mary K. Dimke denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction. Judge Dimke found the plaintiffs are unlikely to succeed on the merits because they failed to establish that the Second Amendment applies to the regulation of high-capacity magazines.

From the decision: “ESSB 5078 is the product of the democratically elected Washington legislature. If the Court is to declare ESSB 5078 unconstitutional, it will not do so lightly. Injunctive relief is ‘an extraordinary remedy that may only be awarded upon a clear showing that the plaintiff is entitled to such relief.’ … The Court will not reduce the evidentiary rigor required for an injunction such that Plaintiffs may obtain one here by citing to articles found on the internet, without explaining their academic and scientific worth, or historic accuracy. … At present, the evidence in the record is insufficient to establish that Plaintiffs are likely to prove that large capacity magazines fall within the Second Amendment right.”

Multiple other federal courts have upheld laws limiting magazine capacity. In July, a federal judge in Oregon upheld that state’s new law. In that challenge, Judge Karin J. Immergut ruled that Oregon’s restriction on high-capacity magazines is lawful under the test established by the U.S. Supreme Court’s most recent firearms ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.

There is a second challenge to Washington’s high-capacity magazine sales ban pending in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, filed by the Second Amendment Foundation and the Firearms Policy Coalition, among other parties.

Assistant Attorneys General July Simpson, William McGinty, Andrew Hughes and Brian Hunt Rowe, First Assistant Attorney General Kristin Beneski, Legal Assistant Christine Truong and Paralegal Amy Hand are handling the case for Washington.

Successfully defending Washington’s firearms safety laws

The Attorney General’s Office is undefeated in defending state law from attacks by the gun lobby:

Northwest School of Safety v. Ferguson: Plaintiffs including the Second Amendment Foundation challenge to Initiative 594, which required background checks on all gun sales.

Mitchell v. Atkins: Plaintiffs including the National Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation challenge to Initiative 1639, which restricted the sale of assault weapons to individuals over the age of 21, and imposed background check requirements.

Slone v. Washington: Plaintiffs including Gun Owners of America challenge to I-1639.

Silent Majority Foundation, et al. v. Jay Inslee, et al.: Plaintiffs including the Silent Majority Foundation challenge to House Bill 1705, banning ghost guns.

Hartford et al. v. Ferguson et al.:  Plaintiffs including the Second Amendment Foundation and the Firearms Policy Coalition challenge to House Bill 1240, which bans the sale of assault weapons in Washington.

Guardian Arms v. Inslee: Plaintiffs including the Silent Majority Foundation challenge to House Bill 1240, which bans the sale of assault weapons in Washington.

The Attorney General’s Office has also successfully brought cases to enforce firearms safety laws:

State of Washington, et al., v. U.S. Department of State et al.: Defendants including Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation, sought to distribute 3D-printable gun files.

State of Washington v. Federal Way Discount Guns: Defendants represented initially by the Silent Majority Foundation sold high-capacity magazines in violation of Washington law.

State of Washington v. Gator’s Custom Guns: Defendants unlawfully offered more than 11,400 high-capacity magazines for sale. 

In other State News Headlines:

Judge orders Seattle business scamming immigrants to pay back victims, plus interest.---WAAG

Commerce awards $35.4 million for solar power with battery back-up systems to bolster community resilience--WA COMMERCE DEPT.

Ecology taking broad environmental planning look at potential solar, onshore wind energy facilities.

OLYMPIA  – 

Earlier this year, the Washington Legislature passed a law to support renewable power by focusing on ways to improve siting processes for clean energy facilities.--DOE

Environmental penalties issued for first half of 2023.

OLYMPIA  – 

The Washington Department of Ecology issued $562,540 in penalties of $1,000 or more from Jan. 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023. $422,640 of that total was issued in the first quarter and $139,900 in the second quarter. A detailed list of the violations and resulting penalties is in the table below.--DOE

Statement on NPS and USFWS draft EIS and proposed 10(j) rule for restoring grizzly bears to the North Cascades.

“We are committed to grizzly bear recovery in Washington and will engage with the federal agencies as required by law,” said Eric Gardner, WDFW Wildlife Program Director. “WDFW has been an active participant in the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, working alongside other western states for the conservation and management of the species. The addition of the proposed 10(j) rule would allow for more management flexibility in Washington and increased collaboration with our federal partners.”---WDFW

2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION

Seattle’s Ada Developers Academy Wins $714K Federal Grant to Train Women Software Developers

Cantwell: WA expects “A 60,000 STEM worker shortfall by 2026 … We’ll never have enough workers if we don’t include more women”--PRESS RELEASE

Cantwell Announces Colville & Spokane Tribes to Strengthen, Modernize Electrical Grid With $5.44M in Federal Grants

Cantwell: Investments to help lower energy costs while helping ensure the lights stay on during an emergency--PRESS RELEASE

KILMER, BACON INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

"Across the country, there is a critical shortage of facilities dedicated to mental health and SUD treatments. This deficit spans from inpatient beds to essential step-down services like intensive outpatient programs and partial hospitalization. Consequently, numerous patients are left without appropriate care, often finding themselves in emergency departments as a last resort. A case in point is Seattle Children’s Hospital, where a staggering 50% or more of emergency beds are consistently occupied by children awaiting mental health care. Such extended stays not only adversely affect the well-being of these patients but also strain the hospital’s capacity to address other emergent situations."--PRESS RELEASE

Senator Murray Applauds Committee Passage of Bipartisan SAFER Banking Act, Pushes to Get Cannabis Banking Bill Across the Finish Line--PRESS RELEASE

3) WORLD, NATIONAL, & BUSINESS HEADLINES:

Only 15 Per Cent of Global Development Goals on Track, as Multiple Factors Stall, Hamper, Reverse Inclusive and Sustained Development, Third Committee Stresses

But with Fundamental Shift in Global Behaviour, Still Possible to Achieve Just, Peaceful, Sustainable World, UN Official States--UN PRESS RELEASE

Conflicts, Disasters Driving More Migrants to Risk Mediterranean Crossing, Briefers Warn Security Council Ahead of Libya Mandate Decision

The Mediterranean remains a perilous route for a swelling number of migrants and asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, Security Council members said today, as they discussed the situation in the high seas off Libya ahead of a decision to renew resolution 2240 (2015), which authorizes States and regional groups to inspect and seize vessels in that area suspected of being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking.--UN PRESS RELEASE

Statement by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States--USUN

Remarks at a UN Security Council Meeting on Maintenance of International Peace and Security--USUN

How the People’s Republic of China Seeks to Reshape the Global Information Environment---STATE DEPT.

NATION

President Joe Biden to Establish First-Ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, To Be Overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris--WH dated 9/21/23

Released From North Korea, U.S. Soldier Now in Texas.

This week, Army Pvt. Travis T. King was released from North Korean custody and returned to American authorities. King is now back in the U.S., in San Antonio, Texas, said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh.--DOD

Hospice Medical Director Sentenced for $150M Hospice Fraud Scheme.

According to court documents, from 2009 to 2018, Jesus Virlar-Cadena, 52, served as the medical director of the Merida Group, a large health care company that operated dozens of locations throughout Texas. ---DOJ

Biden-Harris Administration Moves Forward with Student Debt Relief Negotiated Rulemaking to Deliver Support to as Many Borrowers as Possible as Quickly as Possible--DEPT. OF EDUCATION

EPA Reaches Agreement with Navajo Tribal Utility Authority to Improve Wastewater Treatment--EPA

BUSINESS: 

Justice Department Secures Agreement with California-Based Manufacturer to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claims.---DOJ

Biden-Harris Administration Outlines Strategies to Invest in High-Quality Workforce Development--US TREASURY DEPT. 

Closing Remarks

Governor Lisa D. Cook

At the Minorities in Banking Forum, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Dallas, Texas.--THE FED

USDA to Begin Issuing $1.75 Billion to Agricultural Producers Through Critical Emergency Relief Programs--USDA

BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION AWARDS $16M TO IMPROVE JOB QUALITY, EXPAND ACCESS TO GOOD JOBS IN CRITICAL SECTORS, INCLUDING CARE, CLIMATE RESILIENCE, HOSPITALITY--DEPT. of LABOR

IN FOCUS & LOCAL MEETINGS.

For 9/27/23

https://pr2345.blogspot.com/p/in-focus-local-meetings-for-92723.html

AG Ferguson’s innovative unemployment fraud recovery initiative nets $42 million.

 

Source Link: https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-s-innovative-unemployment-fraud-recovery-initiative-nets-42-million

Ferguson one of the only state AGs to use forfeiture laws to recoup stolen funds

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that an innovative fraud recovery initiative netted a total of $42 million in stolen funds from 26 financial institutions. 

The announcement marks the end of Ferguson’s first phase to retrieve money from banks and other financial institutions where scammers still had remaining funds. While multiple states suffered substantial losses, Ferguson was the first and remains one of the only state attorneys general who exercised state asset forfeiture powers to recover these taxpayer dollars. As a result, Washington has recovered a total of more than $420 million in stolen funds. The Attorney General’s Office will continue to assist in federal investigations to recover stolen funds, as well as investigate any liability of banks and financial technology companies for Washington’s losses.

“Our innovative use of the law to recover stolen funds led the nation,” Ferguson said. “We delivered results for taxpayers and unemployed Washingtonians.”

Beginning in April 2020, Washington's unemployment insurance program was one of the first to suffer an unprecedented and massive nationwide attack of imposter fraud. 

Sophisticated fraud rings used identity data harvested from data breaches to steal billions of dollars from 53 government programs that received federal pandemic unemployment benefits, according to a recent government accountability report. While the exact extent of the fraud is still unknown, the same report estimated losses to fraud nationally to be as much as $135 billion.

Soon after the thefts, Ferguson initiated an investigation searching for bank accounts where scammers did not withdraw all their stolen funds and launched a legal effort to reclaim these funds for the state. To date, financial institutions across the country cooperated with the investigation. Essentially, the Attorney General recovered stolen money in accounts at banks and other financial institutions that criminals were unable to withdraw.

Washington state’s Employment Security Department estimates that during the COVID-19 pandemic, fraudulent claims accounted for $647 million, or 3%, of the overall $21.7 billion in unemployment benefits paid to workers. The state has recovered $423.6 million so far – more than two-thirds of the stolen funds. The Attorney General’s innovative use of forfeiture laws brought in 10% of that total.

This leaves approximately $223.4 million lost to fraud so far, which amounts to 1% of the total $21.7 billion in benefits. Consequently, 99% of the unemployment benefits went, as intended, to support workers during the pandemic.

Other states experienced much larger losses to fraud, like California at $18.7 billion. Arizona lost $4.4 billion and Virginia lost $1.6 billion to fraud, and both have similar-sized populations to Washington state.

According to department data, it caught the fraud within the first two weeks and decided to pause benefit payments, which prevented payment on more than 100,000 fraudulent claims. Its finance team then collected and analyzed fraud data and determined that 95% of fraudulent payments went to 75 banks. From there, the department specified that it contacted each bank and attempted to recover funds. This effort included sharing fraud data with the banks and reaching resolutions on the amounts available to return.

“We're thankful for our partnership with the Attorney General," said Commissioner Cami Feek, "It’s wonderful to see our collaboration and hard work paying off. Fraud recovery has been a long road; however, our collective efforts have made us a leader in fraud recovery nationally and a resource for advice and guidance for other states.”

Searching for accounts with red flags

The Attorney General’s Office used the department’s data and subpoenaed more than 35 banks across the country to identify accounts with balances of $1,000 or more that bore red flags or indicators of fraud.

Red flags included:

Accounts that received unemployment benefit payments from multiple states;

Accounts that received deposits of unemployment benefits to multiple people; or

A mismatch between the personal information of the account holder and the person who supposedly applied for the benefits deposited in the account.

Ferguson filed cases to recover stolen funds remaining in accounts at 26 different financial institutions. In part because of these forfeiture litigation efforts and the assistance provided to the department, Washington was more successful than other states in mitigating, and securing recoveries of, unemployment fraud losses — helping to preserve funds for the benefit of unemployed workers. 

The funds recovered by the Attorney General’s forfeiture initiative go back into the state unemployment trust fund and to the federal treasury.

Special Assistant Attorney General Jeff Sprung in the Complex Litigation Division is leading this effort, along with Assistant Attorneys General Martha Rodriguez Lopez, Spencer Coates, Kendall Scott Cowles, Erica Franklin, John Nelson, Lia Pernell and Nick Quijas, paralegals Sara Cearley and Kellie Tappan, legal assistant Victoria Johnson and investigator Greg Coleman.--WAAG press release

In other state news:

AG prosecutors seek to prevent release of Pierce County sex offender.

TACOMA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a petition today urging a Pierce County Superior Court judge to civilly commit a sex offender to McNeil Island, preventing his release into the community.

Marlon S. Mount, 44, was convicted in Pierce County of second-degree child rape in 1995, and second-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment in 2001. He was later convicted in Mason County of third-degree child rape in 2018. Mount is in prison and due for release on Sept. 30. The Attorney General’s Office petitioned to have him committed, alleging that he is mentally ill and dangerous.--WAAG press release

Washington Community Economic Revitalization Board invests $6.75 million in Benton, Kittitas, Klickitat and Whitman counties.

State funds will leverage more than $1 billion in private and local resources expected to create and retain 210 high-wage jobs.

OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) today approved $6.6 million in low-interest loans and $150,000 in grants for economic development and public infrastructure improvements intended to spur business growth and job creation in Benton, Kittitas, Klickitat and Whitman counties.---WA COMMERCE DEPT. Press release

WDFW invites public comment on rule making to offer incentives for chronic wasting disease testing.

SPOKANE – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) invites the public to attend a virtual hearing and submit input on a proposed rule change that would allow WDFW to offer an incentive to hunters who have their harvested deer and elk tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD).---WDFW PRESS RELEASE

Public comment period for black bear timber damage permit rule proposal extended.

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has extended a public comment period about the Department’s proposed rule change to revise how WDFW issues black bear timber damage depredation permits. The public now has until Friday, Oct. 27 to submit comments.--WDFW PRESS RELEASE

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs encourages Washingtonians to participate in National Voter Registration.

OLYMPIA — For National Voter Registration Day, the Office of the Secretary of State will host a voter registration station at Gonzaga University Tuesday, Sept. 19, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Students will be able to sign up as new voters or update their registrations at the registration table in the rotunda of the John J. Hemmingson Center, 702 East Desmet Avenue, Spokane.--SEC OF STATE DATED 9/18/23

2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION

KILMER, TIMMONS SPEARHEAD BIPARTISAN “FIX CONGRESS CAUCUS”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives and Co-Chairs of the Fix Congress Caucus Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and William Timmons (SC-04) launched the Fix Congress Caucus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers committed to making Congress more effective, efficient, and transparent for the American people.--PRESS RELEASE DATED 9/21/23

KILMER NAMED WINNER OF AWARD FOR INNOVATION AND MODERNIZATION IN CONGRESS.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) received the Democracy Award for Innovation and Modernization at the Congressional Management Foundation’s (CMF) annual awards ceremony. The Democracy Award is CMF’s award recognizing non-legislative achievement and performance in congressional offices. The Innovation and Modernization category honors offices for their outstanding achievements in innovation and modernization of their office services, practices, and the institution of Congress around them.--September 18, 2023, PRESS RELEASE

Washington Rail Systems to Receive $76.8M in Infrastructure Upgrades Thanks to Cantwell-Championed Program

Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad - a vital corridor for WA-grown wheat - gets $72.8 million to help safely transport bigger, faster rail cars; Tacoma Rail gets $4.095 million to swap two diesel cars with electric cars & reduce dangerous emissions--Cantwell press release dated 09.20.23

09.16.23

Cantwell Celebrates Grand Opening of Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension Line

New transit line connects Downtown, Dome, Stadium, & Hilltop with fast & reliable service; Cantwell delivers remarks at grand opening: “Tacoma & the Hilltop neighborhood is on the rise”--PRESS RELEASE

September 20, 2023

Senator Murray Presses VA Officials About Mental Health Care Wait Times, Outreach to Veterans Experiencing Homelessness at Veterans Committee Hearing on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention--PRESS RELEASE

September 19, 2023

Senator Murray Remarks on House CR Proposal, Senate Funding Minibus, Preventing Shutdown.

“Thank you. As you all know, I’ve been working with Senator Collins from the start of the year to make sure we have an open, bipartisan appropriations process.

“And just last week, 91 Senators voted to proceed to our first funding package, and every bill in that package passed our Committee unanimously this past summer. press release

3) WORLD, NATIONAL & BUSINESS

Climate Funds for Fragile States, Action to Reach Net Zero, Not Mere Promises, Only Way to Build Low-Carbon Future, Speakers Stress on Day Three of General Debate

Building resilience and tackling the adverse impact of climate change should be an urgent priority for all, world leaders stressed today, as the General Assembly high-level debate concluded the third day of its deliberations, with speakers emphasizing that no meaningful climate action or development can take place in conditions of financial distress.--UN PRESS RELEASE

Concluding Security Council Open Debate, Speakers Stress Dialogue, Diplomacy Based on Charter Principles Needed for Peaceful Resolution to War in Ukraine

As the Security Council concluded its high-level open debate on effective multilateralism and the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine, speakers underscored the need for dialogue, diplomacy and a just peace among Member States, stressing the need to uphold the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, in efforts to bring a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine. ---UN PRESS RELEASE

Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a Ministerial-Level Meeting on UNRWA--USUN

Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Least Developed Countries--USUN

Secretary Antony J. Blinken Video Remarks at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP)’s Global Emerging Tech Summit--US STATE DEPT.

NATIONAL:

Biden Meets With Ukraine President, as U.S. Sends $325M Arms Package.

The U.S. today announced it will send an additional security assistance package for Ukraine valued at up to $325 million as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded his second visit to Washington since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion. --Sept. 21, 2023, DOD PRESS RELEASE

Nurse Practitioner Convicted of $200M Health Care Fraud Scheme.

A federal jury in Miami convicted a Florida nurse practitioner yesterday for her role in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting more than $200 million in false and fraudulent claims for expensive genetic testing and medical equipment that the Medicare beneficiaries did not need.--DOJ

U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Announces Resolution of Disability Harassment Investigation of Allegheny Valley School District in Pennsylvania--DEPT. of EDUCATION

Adult Obesity Prevalence Remains High; Support for Prevention and Treatment Needed.

New population data from 2022 show 22 states have an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%, compared to 19 states in 2021, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).--CDC PRESS RELEASE

HUD and VA Award $16 Million to Aid Homeless Veterans in Securing Permanent Housing

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awarded $16.1 million in HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers to 71 Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) across the country. This award will help homeless Veterans and their families find and sustain permanent housing. Please see the list of awardees --HUD PRESS RELEASE

BUSINESS:

Former CFO of Russian Natural Gas Company Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Tax Crimes.

Mark Anthony Gyetvay of Naples, Florida, was sentenced today to 86 months in prison for a scheme to hide millions of dollars of income in undisclosed Swiss bank accounts and submitting a false filing with the IRS. --DOJ

Generative AI, Productivity, the Labor Market, and Choice Behavior

Governor Lisa D. Cook

At the National Bureau of Economic Research Economics of Artificial Intelligence Conference, Fall 2023, Toronto, Canada--THE FED

Brief Remarks on the Economy and Monetary Policy

Governor Michelle W. Bowman

At Independent Community Bankers of Colorado, Golden Jubilee, Vail, Colorado--THE FED

USDA Invests Nearly a Half Billion Dollars in the Food for Progress and McGovern Dole Programs to Strengthen Global Food Security Using US Commodities--USDA

Tracking Budget Talks: What a Shutdown Would Mean for Businesses, Economy.---US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

 IN FOCUS AND LOCAL MEETINGS FOR 9/23/23

AG Ferguson files lawsuit against founder of Vancouver charity for misusing more than $1.2 million meant to serve BIPOC communities.

 

Link Source: https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-files-lawsuit-against-founder-vancouver-charity-misusing-more-12

Founder Ophelia Noble misappropriated nearly $1 million for her own businesses, family and friends

VANCOUVER — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced a lawsuit against Vancouver nonprofit Noble Foundation and its founder and executive director, Ophelia Noble, along with foundation directors, and Noble’s family and friends. Ferguson asserts since 2019, Noble misappropriated or failed to account for $1 million in charitable grants the foundation received to serve communities of color in southwest Washington. 

In a lawsuit filed in Clark County Superior Court, Ferguson asserts Noble paid herself hundreds of thousands of dollars from foundation funds, used foundation money to buy vehicles for herself and her mother and directed the foundation to buy her father’s house then resell it to her at a deep discount. The lawsuit names Noble, the Noble Foundation, foundation directors Douglas Noble (Noble’s father), Alice Prejean (Noble’s mother), Alyce Noble, Joann Hampton and Virginia Prioleau. 

Noble’s misconduct includes numerous violations of Washington’s Nonprofit Corporation Act, with potential penalties of up to $5,000 per violation. Ferguson will ask the court to order Noble and her co-defendants to return the diverted money so that it can be directed to an organization that can use it for its intended charitable purposes, dissolve the foundation and bar Noble and her other co-defendants from serving on the boards of any Washington nonprofit in the future. 

“Preying on the generosity of Washingtonians is shameful — and unlawful,” Ferguson said. “We will hold those responsible accountable and work to ensure the diverted money is paid back and directed towards its intended purpose: advancing racial equity and serving communities of color.”

Noble Foundation was founded to serve BIPOC communities

Ophelia Noble started The Noble Foundation in 2012 to serve communities of color in Vancouver, Kelso and Longview. 

In 2019, the foundation expanded rapidly, securing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Washington State Office of Financial Management as part of a state effort to encourage members of undercounted Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities to register for the 2020 Census.

The foundation continued to grow when the pandemic hit. Operating as Our Place/Nuestra Casa Multicultural Center, the foundation provided emergency rent assistance, cash assistance for general household needs, and community education about the dangers of COVID-19 and the importance of vaccinations. It subsequently secured major contracts with counties and the state to facilitate the Treasury Rent Assistance Program and Eviction Rent Assistance Program, disbursing more than $1.3 million on behalf of Clark County and the Washington State Department of Commerce between 2021 and 2023.

As public attention focused more sharply on racial justice and policing issues, the foundation created Southwest Washington Communities United for Change, a tax-exempt social welfare organization. Southwest purportedly focused on organizing protests and trying to increase participation and political representation for BIPOC communities in Clark and Cowlitz counties. Southwest brought in several hundred thousand dollars from grantors interested in establishing a BIPOC-led political organization serving Southwest Washington.

It appears that most of the public dollars received by the foundation and its related entities were spent properly and not misappropriated. However, large grants from private and community foundations, were not subject to the same level of fiscal controls. The nonprofits raised approximately $1.5 million from such foundations including the Northwest Health Foundation, Social Justice Fund Northwest, the Satterberg Foundation, the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington, Group Health/Inatai Foundation and the Seattle Foundation. 

Misappropriations go back years

Beginning in 2019, Noble used her position as executive director to misappropriate large sums of donated charitable funds from the foundation’s accounts. 

The Attorney General’s investigation revealed that Noble and her family received direct, documented payments or benefits of nearly $1 million. Some examples:

In July 2021, Noble caused the foundation and Southwest to pay her $355,000 in “back pay,” for “contract services” purportedly provided between 2015 and 2021. There is no evidence that any contracts existed, any money was owed, or that these payments were approved by the entities’ boards.

The foundation paid Noble’s consulting company $310,000 for unspecified “executive director services” that were never approved by the board.

$200,000 was either withdrawn from the various foundation entities’ bank accounts without explanation or issued to unknown individuals in the form of cashier’s checks. Only Noble and the directors were authorized signers on these accounts.

In 2020, Noble directed the foundation to purchase her father’s house for approximately $200,000, but she put her name on the deed as well as the foundation’s. The following year, she paid the foundation $100,000 for its interest in the home. When the foundation transferred title to Noble in 2022, the house was worth at least $324,000, meaning Noble gained $224,000 in equity. There is no evidence the foundation’s board reviewed and approved these transactions, which were clearly a conflict of interest for Noble. 

In 2020, Noble used foundation money to purchase a 2019 Nissan Armada, which she used as her personal vehicle. She used foundation funds to make upgrades to the vehicle and cover maintenance and gas. The foundation also purchased a second vehicle, which Noble later transferred to her mother.

Noble, her family, and other directors used foundation money to fund over $65,000 in additional purchases that lack a clear connection to the entities’ charitable purposes, including for gift cards, meals, groceries, gas, travel, cell phones, personal clothing, and even alcohol and cigarettes.

Other charity lawsuits

The Legislature identified the Attorney General’s Office as the agency tasked with enforcing the Nonprofit Corporation, Charitable Solicitations and Charitable Trust Acts. These laws ensure that nonprofits and entities that solicit charitable donations or manage charitable assets follow the laws adopted by the Legislature. These laws ensure that funds intended for charity are not misused.

The Attorney General’s Office has three attorneys who specifically focus on charity cases involving the misuse or misappropriation of funds solicited for a charitable purpose.

Recent enforcement actions include:

A $300,000 judgment against a family that operated a group of sham charities purporting to help cancer patients and vulnerable children but used the donations to enrich themselves.

A $1 million judgment against charities that claimed to help veterans over what a judge ruled was “deceptive” and “abusive” conduct.

A million dollars recovered for a veterans’ nonprofit after its leadership failed to pay wages to its veteran employees. The director used charity funds for her own personal expenses, including gambling at casinos. As a result of the Attorney General’s case, the executive director and board members were removed from the nonprofit and barred from working for any Washington nonprofits in the future.

A $495,000 judgment against two companies that made more than one million robocalls in Washington state for scam charities. The $495,000 payment went to legitimate charities.

 IN OTHER STATE NEWS:

AG Ferguson sues Gator’s Custom Guns for illegal sale, distribution of high-capacity magazines.

KELSO — Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a consumer protection lawsuit today against Gator’s Custom Guns and its owner, Walter Wentz, for unlawfully selling high-capacity magazines. It is the second lawsuit filed to enforce the ban on sales of magazines with capacity to hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.--WAAG

Commerce awards $5.6 million for vital community facility and infrastructure projects in five rural counties--WA COMMERCE DEPT.

Settlement reached to ensure access to critical Hanford Site data.

RICHLAND  – 

The Washington state Department of Ecology will regain direct access to critical federal data about the Hanford Site following a settlement agreement announced today with the U.S. Department of Energy. --DOE

Application period open for oil spill equipment grants

Grants can be used for oil spill cleanup tools, training--DOE

Fish and Wildlife Commission made decisions on land transaction and wildlife petitions during Sept. 8 meeting.

OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission met virtually Sept. 8 to host a special hatchery workshop and consider one land transaction and four public wildlife petitions.---WFDW

2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION

KILMER DELIVERS UPDATE ON INVESTING IN AMERICA AGENDA IN WASHINGTON STATE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06), a member of the Regional Leadership Council, delivered remarks on the House Floor highlighting the progress of the Investing in America agenda in Washington state.---PRESS RELEASE

Cantwell Calls for More Resources to Support Journalists Reckoning with Deepfakes & AI-Generated Content

In Commerce subcommittee hearing, Chair Cantwell calls local journalism “the ecosystem that keeps the trust”--PRESS RELEASE

3) WORLD, NATION, & BUSINESS

WORLD:

WFP Head Urges Business Leaders to Develop Smart Innovations in Fight against Hunger, Poverty, at Security Council Debate on Public-Private Partnerships

Against a backdrop of soaring global humanitarian needs fuelled by conflict, climate change and the impact of COVID-19, a new model for collaboration between public and private sector actors is needed to promote international security and tackle humanitarian needs, delegates heard today during the Security Council’s open debate on advancing public-private humanitarian partnerships.--UN PRESS RELEASE

Crimes Committed in Sudan by Rapid Support Forces, Allied Militias Undermining National, Regional, International Stability, Delegate Tells Security Council

An increasingly violent and unstable situation in Sudan demands immediate action, a senior United Nations official warned the Security Council today, as millions are displaced and the country spirals towards a humanitarian catastrophe.--UN PRESS RELEASE

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield Highlights U.S. Contributions to Advance the Sustainable Development Goals with New Display at USUN--USUN

Imposing Further Sanctions in Response to Russia’s Illegal War Against Ukraine.

" The Department of State is designating 37 entities involved in expanding Russia’s energy production and future export capacity and identifying two related vessels as blocked property.  These designations include entities and individuals involved in the development of key energy projects and associated infrastructure, including Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 liquified natural gas project, as well as entities involved in the procurement of materials and advanced technology for future energy projects for which Russia has historically relied on foreign service companies’ expertise and technology." ---US STATE DEPT.

U.S. Resumes ISR Flight Operations in Niger.

In Niger, the United States has resumed the flying of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions as part of its force protection efforts.--DOD

NATION

DOD Seeks to Bring Home WWII Bomber Crew Lost Over Germany.

Bringing home the remains of those missing in action is America's sacred duty, said Army Capt. Jordan Smith.---DOD

Pharmacist Convicted for Conspiring to Unlawfully Dispense Over 100,000 Opioid Pills.

A federal jury in Houston convicted a Texas pharmacist yesterday for her role in a pill-mill pharmacy that unlawfully dispensed over 100,000 opioid pills in exchange for cash.--DOJ

U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Reaches Agreement to Resolve Sex Discrimination and Harassment Investigation of Nash County Public Schools in North Carolina--US DEPT. of EDUCATION

HHS Launches Bridge Access Program to Safeguard Free COVID-19 Vaccination for Uninsured and Underinsured Adults--CDC

HUD Awards $8.6 Million to Provide Rental Assistance to Native American Veterans Experiencing Homelessness

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded today 29 Tribal HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (Tribal HUD-VASH) renewal awards, totaling $8,588,580, to provide rental assistance and supportive services to Native American Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. --HUD

BUSINESS

Opening Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen at the Second Annual CFIUS Conference--US TREASURY DEPT.

Western Union Remission Fund Distributes Approximately $40M to Victims in the United States and Abroad.

The Justice Department today announced that the Western Union Remission Fund began a distribution of approximately $40 million in funds forfeited to the United States from the Western Union Company (Western Union) to approximately 25,000 victims located in the United States and abroad. These victims stand to recover the full amount of their losses.--DOJ

Red flags for Employee Retention Credit claims; IRS reminds businesses to watch out for warning signs of aggressive promotion that can mislead people into making improper ERC claims--IRS

Biden-Harris Administration Invests $1 Billion for Nearly 400 Projects to Expand Access to Trees and Green Spaces in Communities and Neighborhoods Nationwide through Investing in America Agenda--USDA

UAW Strike: What to Know

The strike will have far reaching negative consequences for the American workers directly employed by the Detroit Three, their suppliers and dealers, as well as the thousands of small businesses and families whose livelihoods will also be put at risk.--US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

IN FOCUS & LOCAL MEETINGS FOR 9/16/23

AG Ferguson: More than $60 million coming to Washington in the next three months to combat fentanyl epidemic.

 

Walmart paying $62.6 million to Washington as a result of Attorney General’s opioid initiative

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that more than $60 million to combat the fentanyl epidemic will soon be coming to Washington. These resources are a result of Ferguson’s investigation into Walmart for its role fueling the opioid epidemic as a pharmacy. All eligible local governments signed onto the Attorney General’s $62.6 million resolution. The resources will be split equally between the state and local jurisdictions across the state.

This resolution is part of the $1.1 billion the Attorney General’s Office has recovered from 11 companies that fueled the opioid epidemic. Under the terms of the legally binding resolution, these resources must be used to combat the opioid epidemic, including fentanyl. Washingtonians can use this chart to see what their local government will receive to combat the opioid epidemic. The chart includes the additional Walmart funding, 97% of which it will pay in the next few months. The Legislature determines how to spend the state’s allocation of these resources.

The Attorney General’s Office has upcoming trials against one opioid manufacturer and multiple pharmacies that helped fuel the epidemic.

“This is real money that funds real resources that will save lives,” Ferguson said. “But I am not done here. My office still litigates active cases, which we will use to hold all companies that fueled the opioid epidemic accountable. My team is working to bring even more money and resources back to affected Washington communities.” 

Since all of the eligible local governments signed onto the resolution with Walmart, Washington is guaranteed the maximum amount of $62.6 million. The local governments are dividing their share of the proceeds using the same formula as the earlier opioid distributor resolution.

Half of the money from the Walmart resolution will be paid to eligible Washington cities and counties, with the first payment to be made in the next few months. The remainder of the money goes to the state. All of this money must be used to fund opioid remediation.

A full, updated list of what counties and cities will receive from all the finalized resolutions so far is available. The top five counties, including their local governments, are:

King County, $112.5 million

Pierce County, $52 million

Snohomish County, $51 million

Spokane County, $38.3 million

Clark County, $29.3 million

As part of its resolution, Walmart will tightly monitor opioid prescriptions and prevent patients from seeking multiple prescriptions.

Washington state’s money comes from an overall $3.1 billion multistate resolution with Walmart.

Support already flowing to Washington

In October 2022, all 125 eligible local governments signed onto a $518 million resolution stemming from Ferguson’s earlier lawsuits against opioid distributors. The state received its first two payments of $82 million from the three largest opioid distributors. The more recent resolutions with the pharmacies and manufacturers will augment future payments. These five new resolutions will lead to payments of approximately $45 million to the state in the next few months. 

Local governments will determine how to spend their share.

The resolution with Teva, one of the opioid manufacturers, will bring in naloxone kits that state agencies will distribute statewide. In 2024 and 2025, Washington state will receive a total of 54,120 naloxone kits, with each kit containing two nasal spray devices. Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.

The Legislature will determine how the state share is allocated in communities around the state. In the 2023 legislative session, the Legislature allocated $64.1 million from the opioid payments. Examples of legislative support included: 

$18,168,000 for prevention, treatment and recovery support services to address and remediate the opioid epidemic.

$15,447,000 to tribes and urban Indian health programs for opioid and overdose response activities.

$5,000,000 for the Department of Health to expand the distribution of naloxone through overdose education and a distribution program.

$4,000,000 for the authority to provide short-term housing vouchers for individuals with substance use disorders. 

All spending decisions must be consistent with the state Opioid Response Plan. Recoveries can be used to address the Fentanyl epidemic.

Approved strategies include:

Improving and expanding treatment for opioid use disorder.

Supporting individuals in treatment and recovery, including providing comprehensive wrap-around services to individuals with opioid use disorder, including housing, transportation, education, job placement, job training or childcare.

Addressing the needs of pregnant women and their families, including those with babies with neonatal disorder.

Preventing opioid misuse, overprescribing and overdoses through, among other strategies, school-based and youth-focused programs, public education campaigns, increased availability and distribution of naloxone and other drugs that treat overdoses, additional training and enhancements to the prescription drug monitoring program. Supporting first responders.---WA AG

IN OTHER STATE NEWS HEADLINES:

Attorney General’s Office files criminal charges against individual alleged to have baited and killed bears and elk in North Bend.

SEATTLE — Today the Attorney General’s Office filed 32 criminal charges against Jason Smith of North Bend for illegal hunting. The charges, which include two felonies, 27 gross misdemeanors and three misdemeanors, allege that Smith unlawfully baited and killed bears and elk, and unlawfully hunted deer.--WAAG

US Dept. of Energy awards Washington $23.4 million to strengthen and modernize critical electric infrastructure--WA COMMERCE

Introducing the Puget Sound Benthos Toolbox

An interactive reference tool focused on sediment-dwelling invertebrates.

Puget Sound is home to many types of invertebrates, each playing a different role in the sediment ecosystem. Taxonomically identifying them to genus and species can give us information about the health of the communities in which they live…. but we can’t do it without an arsenal of specialized tools.--DOE

WDFW and Kalispel Tribe of Indians host free National Hunting and Fishing Day event Sept. 30

SPOKANE – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is partnering with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians to host the annual free National Hunting and Fishing Day celebration on Saturday, Sept. 30.--WDFW

Vancouver Wildlife League and WDFW partner to host youth pheasant hunt Sept. 16-17.

VANCOUVER - Youth hunters in the Vancouver area will once again have a special opportunity to hunt pheasants this month thanks to an ongoing collaboration between the Vancouver Wildlife League (VWL) and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).--WDFW

2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION:

Burdensome Indian Tariffs on WA Apples, Chickpeas, Lentils Finally Ending Tomorrow

Cantwell led calls for end retaliatory tariffs, raised the issue in person with Indian PM Modi in February

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that India will end retaliatory tariffs placed on American apples and pulse crops in response to 2018 Trump Administration tariffs. In June, President Biden reached an agreement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lift the tariffs. Tomorrow, India will officially rescind the retaliatory tariffs.--PRESS STATEMENT

Cantwell Statement on Cancellation of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling Leases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), released this statement following the Biden Administration’s announcement of the cancellation of oil and gas leases on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge---PRESS STATEMENT

Murray Remarks on Funding the Government and Avoiding an Unnecessary Shutdown

Washington, D.C. — ICYMI, at today’s Senate Democrats’ weekly stakeout press conference, Senator Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke about how the Senate Appropriations Committee has provided a clear bipartisan roadmap to fund the government, passing all 12 of their funding bills out of Committee with overwhelming bipartisan support—proving there is zero reason for chaos or a shutdown. In her remarks, Murray also emphasized the urgency of addressing the child care crisis as critical relief funding is set to expire at the end of this month, and reiterated her support for President Biden’s full supplemental funding request to support our Ukrainian allies, provide relief for natural disasters, and stop the flow of fentanyl.--PRESS STATEMENT

Senator Murray Speaks on Senate Floor about Wildfires in Eastern WA, Need for Additional Investments in Wildfire Prevention Including Supplemental Funding for FEMA, Preventing Firefighter Pay Cut

ICYMI: Senator Murray Hosts Wildfire Briefing in Leavenworth, Hears From Chelan County Firefighters and U.S. Forest Service on Wildfire Landscape in WA --PRESS STATE

3) WORLD, NATION, and BUSINESS:

WORLD:

Deep Changes Must Be Made to Make Global Frameworks More Representative of Today’s Economic, Political Realities, Secretary-General Tells ASEAN-UN Summit

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the thirteenth Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-United Nations Summit, in Jakarta today:--UN PRESS RELEASE

Peacekeeping Missions Stand as ‘Important Deterrent to an Even Grimmer Reality’, Senior United Nations Official Underlines in Briefing to Security Council

While peacekeeping is not a panacea for converging crises, it does support political processes and protect civilians, the United Nations senior peace operations official told the Security Council today, as members considered the factors necessary for the success of such operations amidst the drawdown of the UN’s presence in Mali and the questioning of its utility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.--UN PRESS RELEASE

Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Peace and Security in Ukraine.

" These sham elections in no way represent a legitimate expression of the will of the people of Ukraine, who have consistently resisted and bravely fought Russia’s efforts to change Ukraine’s borders by force for nearly 19 months. These Potemkin elections are an affront to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. The Ukrainian people are fighting to expel Russia’s forces from their territory."---USUN

Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks to the Press.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good afternoon, everyone, and thanks for being along with us today.

We have seen a number of things today and I think what strikes me the most is this:  First, we’ve seen the horrific human consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.  And it’s so easy to sometimes get lost in abstractions, numbers, how many people lost their lives or were wounded, what the larger effects are.--US STATE DEPT.

Matching China Means Letting U.S. Industry Iterate, Develop Technologies.

The best way for the U.S. to meet the pacing challenge posed by China is to let U.S. industry do what it does best: develop new technologies. The government's role there, said the deputy under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, is to create the best conditions possible to allow those technologies to scale. --DOD

NATION:

Hicks Discusses Replicator Initiative.

Hicks spoke at the Defense News Conference in Arlington, Virginia, and outlined the steps the department must take to innovate and field new capabilities that will continue U.S. dominance in military affairs. --DOD

Justice Department Secures Settlement Protecting Employment Rights of Servicemembers.

Agreement Secures Promotion Opportunity and Backpay for Chicago Firefighter and U.S. Army Reservist after Deployment--DOJ

U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Resolves Restraint and Seclusion Compliance Review of Spectrum Academy in Utah.--DEPT. of EDUCATION

RELEASE OF HUD HOUSING COUNSELING PROGRAM HANDBOOK WILL BETTER EQUIP HOUSING COUNSELING PARTNERS TO SUPPORT RENTERS, HOMEBUYERS, AND HOMEOWNERS

First Set of Comprehensive Updates to Housing Counseling Program Handbook provide participants with the latest guidance to assist consumers with their housing needs.--HUD

HUD Makes Available $256 Million in New Choice Neighborhoods Funding

Future awardees will revitalize public and/or HUD-assisted housing, surrounding neighborhoods.

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the availability of $256 million in Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) Grants funding to communities across the country. The CNI Grants will ultimately transform public and other HUD-assisted housing, while investing in the surrounding neighborhood and resident services. Public housing authorities, local governments, and/or Tribal entities are eligible and encouraged to apply for these transformative grants of up to $50 million each. --hud

BUSINESS:

At the Africa Food Systems Forum, USDA Announces Major Partnerships in Africa.--USDA

Justice Department Announces First Criminal Resolution Involving the Illicit Sale and Transport of Iranian Oil in Violation of U.S. Sanctions--DOJ

The Federal Reserve’s Role in Supporting Responsible Innovation

Vice Chair for Supervision Michael S. Barr

At the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Seventh Annual Fintech Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania--THE FED

IRS announces sweeping effort to restore fairness to tax system with Inflation Reduction Act funding; new compliance efforts focused on increasing scrutiny on high-income, partnerships, corporations and promoters abusing tax rules on the books.--IRS

FTC Finalizes Order with 1Health.io Over Charges it Failed to Protect Privacy and Security of DNA Data and Unfairly Changed its Privacy Policy--FTC

IN FOCUS and LOCAL MEETINGS FOR 9/9/23

AG Ferguson urges addition of Everett, Spokane, Yakima to federal initiative fighting fentanyl crimes.

 

Operation Overdrive” targets areas with high violence, overdoses to combat crime

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that he urged U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to include three Washington cities in a federal initiative aimed at combating drug-related violence and overdoses.

In a letter to Garland, Ferguson urged the addition of Everett, Spokane and Yakima to a Drug Enforcement Administration initiative called “Operation Overdrive.” The federal agency uses national crime statistics and health data to identify hot spots of drug-related violence and overdose deaths across the country. It then devotes law enforcement resources to those communities, where criminal drug networks cause the most harm.

According to federal statistics, Washington state experienced the largest percentage increase in drug overdose deaths in the nation from February 2022 through February 2023. Snohomish, Spokane and Yakima counties experienced higher overdose death rates than the statewide average over a three-year period from 2019 through 2021. In Snohomish County, 156 people died from synthetic opioid overdoses in 2021 alone. Overdoses from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids in Spokane County surged from fewer than 10 in 2019 to 101 in 2021. Fentanyl overdoses in Yakima County more than doubled during this period. 

“We must foster strong partnerships and share intelligence among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to focus our tools where they can have the most impact,” Ferguson said. “My office has recovered more than $1 billion and counting to combat the fentanyl epidemic, but more work is needed to identify and dismantle criminal drug networks.” 

In the letter, Ferguson wrote that designating Everett, Spokane or Yakima as Operation Overdrive sites could have ripple effects that benefit surrounding communities and areas. For instance, Everett’s position on the Interstate 5 corridor makes it a deadly hub for traffickers smuggling fentanyl from Mexico to British Columbia. Spokane’s position on Interstate 90 makes it attractive to traffickers smuggling fentanyl throughout eastern Washington and into neighboring states. 

The increased flow of fentanyl has also caused a disproportionate number of overdose deaths in Tribal nations close to Spokane and Yakima. 

Money already flowing to Washington

Ferguson's litigation against opioid companies has secured more than $1 billion for Washington state over the next 15 years.  

In October 2022, all 125 eligible local governments signed onto the $518 million resolution stemming from Ferguson’s earlier lawsuits against opioid distributors. The state received its first two payments of $82 million from the three largest opioid distributors.

Local governments will determine how to spend their share, and the Legislature will determine how the state share is allocated in communities around the state. In the 2023 legislative session, the Legislature allocated $64.1 million from the opioid payments. Examples of legislative support included:

$18,168,000 for prevention, treatment and recovery support services to address and remediate the opioid epidemic.

$15,447,000 to tribes and urban Indian health programs for opioid and overdose response activities.

$5,000,000 for the Department of Health to expand the distribution of naloxone through overdose education and a distribution program.

$4,000,000 for the authority to provide short-term housing vouchers for individuals with substance use disorders.

All spending decisions must be consistent with the state Opioid Response Plan. Recoveries can be used to address the Fentanyl epidemic.

Approved strategies include:

Improving and expanding treatment for opioid use disorder.

Supporting individuals in treatment and recovery, including providing comprehensive wrap-around services to individuals with opioid use disorder, including housing, transportation, education, job placement, job training or childcare.

Addressing the needs of pregnant women and their families, including those with babies with neonatal disorder.

Preventing opioid misuse, overprescribing and overdoses through, among other strategies, school-based and youth-focused programs, public education campaigns, increased availability and distribution of naloxone and other drugs that treat overdoses, additional training and enhancements to the prescription drug monitoring program.a

Supporting first responders.--WA AG

IN OTHER STATE NEWS:

Washington Supreme Court Justice G. Helen Whitener returns from medical leave for Court’s Fall Term

August 28, 2023

Washington Supreme Court Justice G. Helen Whitener announced she will return from medical leave and will participate in the Court’s Fall term cases remotely, as she continues to recover from reconstructive back surgery.--WA COURTS

Ecology awards $63 million to reduce flooding, protect communities and farms, restore habitat.

OLYMPIA  – 

The Washington Department of Ecology is awarding $63 million to 12 recipients including tribes, counties, and conservation group cross Washington as part of a program to designed to transform how floodplains in the state’s major river basins are managed.--DOE

Tackling Toxics: Ecology helps business save costs and reduce power use with air leak audit.

Many industrial processes, such as machining, painting, and extrusion, use compressed air. Generating and using compressed air can account for 10% to 30% of energy consumption at an industrial facility. Leaks in compressed air lines can significantly impact a facility’s energy use and utility costs. --DOE

State disciplines health care providers.

Jefferson County

In June 2023 the Veterinary Board of Governors reinstated the licensed veterinary technician license of Jennifer Anne Brinton (AT00002197).--DOH

MORE FAMILIES CAN ENJOY STATE PARKS WITH UPDATED FOSTER FAMILY PROGRAM AND PASS

OLYMPIA — Aug. 30, 2023 — The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) has implemented changes to its Foster Family Program to provide more families with the opportunity to camp and enjoy parks.--Parks Dept.

2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION

KILMER ANNOUNCES WHITE HOUSE FUNDING TO COMBAT YOUTH SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN TACOMA

TACOMA, WA – Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has approved a Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program Grant of $125,000 to the Prevent! Tacoma Drug-Free Coalition. This grant is part of a national investment of approximately $20.5 million in youth substance use prevention announced by the Biden Administration today.--PRESS RELEASE

Murray, Cantwell Announce Over $4.5 Million in USDA Grants and Loans to Strengthen Rural Infrastructure Across Washington State, Including Funding for New Child Care Facility in Columbia County--PRESS RELEASE

Senator Murray Statement on Department of Labor Proposal to Extend Overtime Protections to Millions of Workers.--PRESS RELEASE

3) WORLD, NATION & BUSINESS

WORLD:

Veto by Russian Federation Results in Security Council’s Failure to Renew Travel Ban, Asset Freeze against Those Obstructing Mali Peace Agreement

The Security Council today failed to renew the travel ban and asset freeze imposed through resolution 2374 (2017) against individuals and entities obstructing implementation of the 2015 Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, unable to reach consensus on either of two resolutions that would have kept such measures in place amidst the drawdown of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).--UN PRESS RELEASE

Amid World of Deeply Linked Challenges, South-South Cooperation Vital in Shaping Brighter Future, Says Secretary-General, Marking International Day

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation, observed on 12 September--UN PRESS RELEASE

Case Before International Court of Justice Will Expose Israel’s Prolonged Illegal Policies, Permanent Observer Tells Palestinian Rights Committee

Presenting Study on Legality of Israeli Occupation,

Former Special Rapporteur Stresses ‘These Are Powerful Findings’--UN PRESS RELEASE

Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the UN Security Council on the Conclusion of the U.S. Presidency of the UNSC--USUN

Conviction and Sentencing of Individuals Charged in Connection with the Killing of U.S. Citizen Stephen Troell in Baghdad, Iraq---US STATE DEPT.

NATION:

DOD Finance Chief Says Delayed Budgets Present a Challenge.

Last year, the Defense Department's financial management community demonstrated remarkable agility in developing four supplemental budgets — an unprecedented feat — in addition to DOD's regular, baseline budget. --DOD

Russian-German National Arrested for Illegally Exporting to Russia Sensitive U.S.-Sourced Microelectronics with Military Applications in Violation of U.S. Export Controls--DOJ

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Highlights Efforts to Support K-12 Education as Students go Back-to-School--DEPT. of Education

HUD Awards Over $24 Million to 57 Grantees to Fight Housing Discrimination

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the allocation of $24,195,749.33 from its $56 million FY 2023 budget to support 57 fair housing organizations across the nation through the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP). --HUD

CDC Awards $279M to 49 States, the District of Columbia, and 40 Local Health Departments to Help Prevent Drug Overdoses.--CDC

BUSINESS:

Preliminary Annual Report on U.S. Holdings of Foreign Securities at Year-End 2022.

WASHINGTON – Preliminary data from an annual survey of U.S. portfolio holdings of foreign securities at year-end 2022 were released today and posted on the Treasury website here. The final survey report, which will include additional detail as well as possible revisions to the data, will be released on October 31, 2023.--US TREASURY DEPT.

Federal Court Permanently Enjoins Tax Return Preparer in Texas and Orders Disgorgement of Tax Prep Fees--DOJ

Biden-Harris Administration Invests $266 Million to Help Rural Business Owners, Farmers and Ranchers Lower Energy Costs, Generate Income, and Expand Operations, as Part of Investing in America Agenda--USDA

IRS: Those impacted by Idalia qualify for tax relief; Oct. 16 deadline, other dates postponed to Feb. 15--IRS

US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AWARDS $3M IN FUNDING TO PROMOTE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS IN GEORGIA--DEPT. of LABOR

IN FOCUS & LOCAL MEETINGS FOR 9/2/23