The Obama administration’s efforts to bring Eric Schneiderman into the fold do not seem to be deterring the New York attorney general.
Today Mr. Schneiderman filed a lawsuit along with 10 other states to compel the federal Environmental Protection Agency to revise national air quality standards for air pollution involving soot.
“Clean air is a public right, and standards that protect it are a necessity,” said Mr. Schneiderman said in a statement. “Every day, air pollution, from soot, risks the health of more than one-third of Americans, including our most vulnerable – children, the elderly and the sick.  These risks are simply unacceptable. The EPA must take prompt action to reduce pollution now, and safeguard the health of the public and the air we breathe.”
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Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will be wading into the legislative waters this year with an effort to create an online database to track prescription drug abuse.
Today, Mr. Schneiderman’s office is releasing a report detailing how prescription drug abuse and trafficking has gone through the roof, mainly though a lack of communication among pharmacists and doctors. The legislation introduced today was unveiled last year and is known as the “Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing Act,” or “I-STOP.  It will provide health care practitioners and pharmacists with centralized information to avoid over-prescribing, help shut down prescription drug trafficking, and identify and treat patients who seek to abuse prescription drugs.
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Attorney General Eric Schneiderman released his office’s end-of-the-year review today–a custom among politicos at this time of year–and he highlights their efforts in public safety, public integrity and what they term “economic justice.”

It has been in many respects a banner year for the rookie AG, with laudatory profiles in a number of national newsmagazines, mostly for something that gets buried in his year-end report–Mr. Schneiderman’s unwillingness to go along with the 50-state mortgage settlement in order to get to the root of the financial crisis, much to the consternation of the Obama White House. Read More

Eric Schneiderman announced a $553 million settlement today with a handful of major tech companies accused conspiring to artificially inflate prices for LCD screens.

The seven corporations–Chi Mei Innolux Corporation, Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd., Epson Imaging Devices Corporation, HannStar Display Corporation, Hitachi Displays, Ltd., and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.– agreed to pay $538 million to settle antitrust claims. According to Mr. Schneiderman’s office, New York State taxpayers are entitled to receive upwards of $11 million in the settlement. Read More

Attorney General Eric  Schneiderman this afternoon that his office was  launching what they are calling “The Religious Rights Initiative” to address religious rights issues and enforce anti-discrimination laws.

The new measure, his office says, will target faith-based discrimination and violations of religious rights through public education, outreach and law enforcement, including litigation.

“Our state’s rich history of religious diversity is founded on our nation’s Bill of Rights and enshrined by laws that protect New Yorkers’ right to freely practice their faith,” Mr. Schneiderman said. “The Religious Rights Initiative will focus on violations of this fundamental freedom, ensure that religious rights are protected, and work with communities throughout the state to foster and promote religious tolerance.” Read More