Attorney General Nick Brown today issued the following statement after a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to fully fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by Friday, November 7. The Trump administration has since appealed that ruling.

The Washington State Attorney General’s Office is creating a new unit and a new position to modernize public records and retention processes, enhance staff training on open government issues, and innovate solutions to hurdles between the business of government and the public’s right to know.

Attorney General Nick Brown co-led a multistate coalition of 16 attorneys general and two cities in filing a comment letter late Monday opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s proposal to rescind the vast majority of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP).
 
The program collects comprehensive data on harmful greenhouse gas emissions from industrial sources across the United States, providing policymakers, businesses, researchers, and the public with reliable information to track pollution and evaluate the effectiveness of climate policies.

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and 21 other attorneys general are suing the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for unlawfully restricting eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which allows government and nonprofit employees to apply to have their federal student loans forgiven after ten years of service.
 

A coalition of 12 attorneys general joined Attorney General Nick Brown in filing an amicus brief in Female Athletes United (FAU) v. Keith Ellison et al., supporting Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s ongoing fight to defend the rights of transgender youth to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity in Minnesota.
 

Washington will receive about $66 million from Philip Morris to resolve lingering disputes between the company and the state related to the landmark multibillion-dollar tobacco settlement reached in 1998.

Federal Judge Issues Order Directing USDA to Use SNAP Contingency Funds 
 

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction late Monday blocking the Trump administration from defunding teen sexual health education programs over the inclusion of language that affirms all young peoples’ gender identities.

Coalition urges court to immediately restore SNAP funding relied upon by 42 million Americans 

Attorney General Nick Brown joined a coalition of 22 other attorneys general and three governors today in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for unlawfully suspending the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps more than 40 million Americans buy food.