State of Alaska Department of Law

Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor today joined Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, Vermont Attorney General Charity R. Clark, and a coalition of 34 other state and territory attorneys general in sending a letter to congressional leadership urging them to pass an act that would prohibit pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from owning or operating pharmacies.    PBMs are third-party administrators of prescription drug programs for health plans. Over the past few decades, horizontal consolidation and vertical integration have transformed PBMs from useful administrative service providers into market-dominating behemoths that control the industry. Each of the top six PBMs operate their own affiliated pharmacies, while five of the top six are also a part of parent conglomerates that operate insurance companies and health care clinics. PBMs—through ownership of affiliated pharmacies—are contracting with and have power over their own pharmacies’ competition. The PBMs then use their place as middlemen to exert this power in ways that harm independent pharmacies, forcing these small businesses to accept contractual terms that are confusing, unfair, arbitrary, and harmful. The letter sent today urges Congress to take action and protect consumers by enacting a law prohibiting PBMs or their parent companies from owning a pharmacy. Read the letter here: https://lnkd.in/dakjcrZq #WeAreAKLaw #Alaska #LetterToCongress #PrescriptionCosts #RX 

The U.S. Army's Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC) is responsible for the prosecution of certain serious criminal offenses within their jurisdiction. The Fairbanks District Attorney's Office has four military installations it shares concurrent jurisdiction with. While visiting Fort Wainwright, Alaska, last week, Brig. Gen. Christopher Kennebeck and Col. Rob Stelle (both of OSTC out of Fort Belvoir, VA) came to the Fairbanks District Attorney's Office at the invitation of District Attorney Joe Dallaire to meet with staff, give an overview of OSTC’s role, and focus on collaboration between civilian and military prosecutorial counterparts. DA Dallaire and Col. Stelle both serve on the National District Attorneys Association's Board of Directors. #WeAreAKLaw #Fairbanks #Alaska #CriminalJustice #DistrictAttorney

The Oil & Gas Section in the Attorney General's Office is recruiting for an experienced attorney to advise the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Revenue. Oil & Gas Section attorneys represent State of Alaska client agencies to ensure that Alaska's vast oil, gas, geothermal, and subsurface energy interests are responsibly managed and revenues from royalties and taxes received. Attorneys in the Civil Division work on matters of statewide importance, all while living and enjoying all Alaska has to offer. If you enjoy complex and impactful legal work along with dramatic scenery, outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, kayaking, and abundant wildlife, then the Alaska Department of Law, Civil Division is the place for you. Apply at the link: https://lnkd.in/gTvFGcci #WeAreAKLaw #Alaska #Oil #Gas #NaturalResources #CivilLaw #Attorney #CivilAttorney

“A key part of delivering justice, aside from holding those accountable who commit crimes, is to make sure that the victims of these crimes are supported and given assistance as the prosecution works its way through the justice system. Please join the Attorney General’s office in recognizing the difficult and courageous path for crime victims and the need for justice to be delivered in the courtroom. In Alaska, victims have rights, and those rights and the resources available for victims are listed on the Department’s website, including a Victim’s Rights Handbook. April 6-12 is Crime Victims’ Rights Week in Alaska.” -Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor See the Department of Law link here: https://lnkd.in/g2QbyfqU See the proclamation here: https://lnkd.in/g3d6YNhm #WeAreAKLaw #Alaska #CriminalJustice #VictimsRights

“The House Finance Committee cut another $500,000 from funding focused on litigation efforts aimed at unlocking Alaska’s vast resources and securing Alaska’s statehood promises. It’s going backwards. We cannot afford to ease up on asserting our rights as a state. We have an incredible opportunity to start playing ‘statehood offense’ instead of ‘statehood defense’ and really make a long-lasting impact. I urge the Legislature to undo this and put us back on the path of investing in Alaska’s future by making sure we have the resources to solidify long-term wins for Alaska’s economy and secure our ability to determine our own future.” – Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor #WeAreAKLaw #Alaska #NaturalResources #HouseFinanceCommittee #HouseFinance #NaturalResources #StatehoodDefense #ExecutiveOrder #NaturalResourceDevelopment #UnleashAlaskanEnergy

Today, we celebrate the day that the United States of America purchased Alaska from Russia. Recognizing the vast natural resources and opportunities for economic development and scientific exploration, Secretary of State William Seward helped orchestrate the purchase in what was jokingly referred to as “Seward’s Folly.” #SewardsDay #Seward #Alaska #WeAreAKLaw

“Last summer, we had a huge win for public education when the Alaska Supreme Court upheld the correspondence school allotment statutes. This full decision further bolsters the win last summer and lays the groundwork for supporting the correspondence school program more broadly. In particular, the Court recognizes that our constitutional delegates never meant to prohibit the purchase of materials and services from not only just private vendors but perhaps even private schools to allow kids all across Alaska to receive a quality public education that best suits their individual needs.” – Attorney General Treg Taylor   The Court notes the discussion amongst the constitutional delegates relating to a correspondence curricula used at the time called Calvert Course. In reference to this discussion, the Court states: “[t]his exchange suggests the delegates did not intend to prohibit using state funds to purchase a homeschool curriculum from a private organization—perhaps even from a private school.” The full decision link:  https://lnkd.in/ds3PyEq9   #WeAreAKLaw #CorrespondenceSchools #Schools #Alaska #Education

We're Hiring: Department of Law, Civil Division, Torts Attorney (Anchorage or Juneau) Apply now at civil.recruit@alaska.gov. View the full description at https://lnkd.in/gtyp8cYS This recruitment closes on April 17th, 2025. This position is assigned to the Tort’s Work Group within the Torts, Workers' Compensation, and Corrections Section. As a government tort attorney, you traverse a dynamic world of civil litigation, skillfully defending damages lawsuits that target the State, its departments, and its employees. The cases you tackle are as varied as they are challenging, spanning a spectrum of claims such as personal injury, property damage, professional malpractice, wrongful death, and civil rights violations. Beyond the courtroom battles, you also serve as an invaluable consultant, offering insights, guidance, and training to State agencies and employees to help mitigate the State's liability exposure. Your role will require travel across Alaska and beyond as you represent the State's interests on a broader stage.

Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor joined a bipartisan coalition of 30 attorneys general, calling on Congress to pass federal legislation allowing states to deploy cell phone jamming systems in prisons. The bill aims to disrupt inmates’ ability to orchestrate crimes from behind bars using smuggled cell phones.   “Giving states the authority and discretion to prevent those who are incarcerated from committing further crimes while balancing the need for the Alaska Department of Corrections to use cell phones within their facilities is a win for public safety in Alaska,” said Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor.   The coalition’s letter to Congress highlights how inmates exploit contraband phones to:  Direct drug trafficking operations Orchestrate violence inside and outside prison walls Run sophisticated fraud schemes preying on vulnerable citizens  Intimidate witnesses and terrorize victims’ families  Plot escape attempts endangering law enforcement and the public Federal law bans states from using cell phone jamming technology, leaving correctional facilities defenseless against an escalating threat. Carefully designed to avoid disrupting emergency signals like 9-1-1, HR 2350 and S 1137 would grant states the authority to deploy targeted jamming systems within prisons.  “This is not a partisan issue—it is a matter of public safety,” the letter stresses—noting the bipartisan urgency of the issue. A 2020 survey of 20 state corrections departments uncovered 25,840 contraband cell phones in a single year, a stark reminder of the scale of the crisis.  Alaska joined the effort led by Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti and the attorneys general of Georgia, North Carolina, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia stand united in calling on Congress to act decisively and pass this critical legislation in 2025. #WeAreAKLaw #Alaska

Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor met with other Attorneys General from across the nation at a reception last Friday in U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office. The gathering took place after President Donald Trump gave an address on the justice system inside the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. #WeAreAKLaw #Alaska #AttorneyGeneral #AttorneysGeneral