2019 Press Releases

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• 3/29/2019 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL NOTIFIES FORMER ARGOSY, ART INSTITUTES STUDENTS OF LOAN FORGIVENESS OPTIONS

  In letters to 49 Connecticut online students of two recently closed for-profit schools, the Office of the Attorney General provided information about federal student loan forgiveness options.

• 10/2/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG ANNOUNCES COURT VICTORY TO COMPEL EPA TO REGULATE INTERSTATE SMOG POLLUTION

• 10/17/2019 TONG SEEKS EXTENDED LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR FORMER ARGOSY AND ART INSTITUTES STUDENTS

  Attorney General William Tong has joined a bipartisan coalition of 30 state attorneys general urging U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to expand loan forgiveness eligibility for students who were enrolled in schools operated by the Dream Center Education Holdings, LLC (DCEH). The letter details extraordinary misconduct and mismanagement by DCEH, which prevented students from obtaining degrees, and unfairly left them to repay federal student-loan debt from their time attending the failed schools.

• 6/24/2019 DRUG PRICE-FIXING COMPLAINT UNSEALED

  Connecticut Attorney General William Tong today released the full, unredacted complaint against Teva Pharmaceuticals and 19 of the nation's largest generic drug manufacturers after the court granted the states' motion to unseal the complaint.

• 12/19/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG PRAISES PURA DECISION THAT IMPROVES AWARENESS OF ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR HARDSHIP CUSTOMERS

  Attorney General William Tong today praised an Interim Decision by the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) directing the electric utilities to implement a series of practical solutions aimed at improving public awareness of hardship programs that assist residents who struggle to pay their electric bills.

• 4/3/2019 AG TONG JOINS COALITION OPPOSING TRUMP-IMPOSED FOOD STAMP WORK REQUIREMENTS

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 21 states and territories in opposing an unlawful Trump administration effort to strip residents of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly called “food stamps.”

• 4/3/2019 AG TONG JOINS 39 STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL IN EXPRESSING CONCERN REGARDING HHS PAIN MANAGEMENT DRAFT REPORT

  Attorney General William Tong joined members of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sharing concerns about the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force Draft Report.

• 11/15/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG OPPOSES PLAN TO UNDERMINE IMMIGRATION PROTECTIONS FOR ABUSED CHILDREN

  Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general, led by California, fighting against a federal proposal that would undermine immigration protections for abused children.

• 6/19/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO SUE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER REPEAL OF CLEAN POWER PLAN

  Attorney General William Tong announced today his intent to sue the Trump Administration to block the unlawful repeal of the Clean Power Plan.

• 11/15/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG SUES EPA TO PROTECT CALIFORNIA'S ADVANCED CLEAN CAR STANDARDS

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its attempt to revoke California's waiver permitting the state's greenhouse gas (GHG) and zero emission vehicle (ZEV) standards. The action, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is part of the coalition’s ongoing fight to protect California’s Advanced Clean Car Standards. These standards are followed, in whole or in part, by 13 other states including Connecticut and are a key part of state efforts to protect public health and the environment.

• 6/25/2019 TONG OPPOSES CHANGES TO CALCULATION OF FEDERAL POVERTY THRESHOLD

  Attorney General William Tong today announced Connecticut has joined a multistate coalition of 21 attorneys general, led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and New York Attorney General Letitia James, in submitting a comment letter to the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), opposing a proposal to change the way the federal poverty threshold is calculated. According to the attorneys general, the proposed adjustment could result in millions of Americans becoming ineligible for, or entitled to less, government-funded benefits.

• 11/5/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG SUES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FOR ROLLBACK OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR LIGHTBULBS

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general and the City of New York, in filing a lawsuit against the Department of Energy (DOE) challenging its final rule rolling back energy efficiency standards for certain lightbulbs.

• 9/9/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG JOINS 50 ATTORNEYS GENERAL IN BIPARTISAN MULTISTATE ANTITRUST INVESTIGATION INTO GOOGLE

  Attorney General William Tong announced today Connecticut has joined with 50 attorneys general in a multistate, bipartisan investigation of tech giant Google’s business practices in accordance with state and federal antitrust laws.

• 10/11/2019 CONNECTICUT SUES FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT TO PROTECT LEGITIMACY OF CONNECTICUT PARDONS

  Attorney General William Tong announced today that the State of Connecticut has sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Justice in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, seeking a declaratory judgment that the federal government must honor and respect Connecticut's pardons as sufficient to waive deportation under the Pardon Waiver Clause of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The lawsuit explains that federal agencies have singled-out Connecticut for unfair and prejudicial treatment by refusing to recognize our pardons.

• 9/19/2019 AG TONG TO TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH BIRTH CONTROL REFUSAL INJUNCTION IS ILLEGAL

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 15 attorneys general urging the Trump Administration to immediately comply with the court-ordered injunction in California v.Azar. Connecticut joined a coalition led by California earlier this year in securing an injunction to block the Trump Administration’s attempt to strip access to cost-free birth control coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A similar injunction was also secured by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. Despite the clear injunction from the court, the Trump Administration has yet to update its website and inform the public about the injunction and its impact on their contraceptive coverage.