BREAKING: My Office just reached a major settlement with Walmart and Reynolds.

These companies marketed so-called ‘recycling’ bags that can’t actually be recycled. That's unacceptable, so I'm making them pay back every cent of profits they made selling those bags in Minnesota. Walmart and Reynolds are also banned from selling those bags in MN for the next 2.5 years. After that, any bags sold must be conspicuously labeled “these bags are not recyclable.”

I took this action because their greenwashing is not just misleading, it's actively harmful.

Today, Enbridge admitted it breached a confined aquifer in Clearwater Cty while building Line 3, knew it did it, and did not notify the MN DNR as required. This admission comes in response to criminal charges my office filed after having the case referred by the Clearwater 1/4 Cty Atty to us for review. Enbridge now has to pay the maximum fine available under the law &has reached agreements with DNR, MPCA, and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa agrees to make cash payments, pay penalties, fund environmental restoration and monitoring, 2/4

1/7 Today I launched HelpSealMyRecord.org, which will help Minnesotans everywhere expunge (seal) eligible non-violent items on their record after they’ve paid the price so those convictions don’t keep them from getting good jobs, education, housing.
ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communi… 2/7 In MN, all misdemeanors and 50 non-violent felony crimes can be expunged. But doing it on your own is confusing, lengthy & costly. So too many ppl go through life with past convictions for which they’ve already paid the price continuing to haunt them, sometimes for decades.

A rodeo in Itasca Co. last wknd refused to follow reqs for keeping ppl safe from #COVID19. Thousands showed up & an infectious person there later tested positive. I sued the rodeo today for violating the law. Keeping MN safe is everyone’s responsibility.
ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communi… The rodeo claimed it would go ahead with no spectators but attendees congregated in the bleachers, made “donations” & watched each day’s rodeo competitions, cheered for participants & were entertained by a clown the rodeo hired. Here are some pix of what it actually looked like.

Today the US Atty’s Office won a guilty plea from a MN scammer who bilked seniors out of millions for fraudulent magazine subscriptions. That began with an investigation & lawsuit by the MN AGO in 2016 that first uncovered the scam & shut down the fraud. justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/ceo… What did they do? They signed up an 87yo blind woman for magazines after she repeatedly said she couldn’t read them. They put a 75yo truck driver down for 5 packages of more than $4K that included Golf Week even though he said he never golfed in his life. startribune.com/minnesota-atto…

I serve on the MN Board of Pardons. Tomorrow @ 9 am we will take up a posthumous pardon application for Max Mason. He was convicted of rape in connection with the infamous Duluth lynchings that happened 100 yrs ago next week. Tmrw, 100 yrs later, we are poised to do justice. 1/8 The lynchings are a dark stain on our history. On 6/15/1920, 6 black circus workers were jailed on a groundless rape accusation by a white couple. A mob stormed the Duluth jail & lynched 3 of them from lampposts as 10K ppl watched. This wasn't Mississippi, it was Minnesota. 2/8

I have the duty to enforce MN law & @GovTimWalz’s Stay Safe MN order, protect Minnesotans’ health & protect businesses complying w the order from unfair competition. I take that duty seriously. This is why I’m suing St. Cloud-area Shady’s bars/restaurants. ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communi… The vast majority of Minnesota’s bar & restaurant owners are doing the right thing during the #COVID19 crisis by keeping their doors closed & protecting their employees & customers. I know it’s hard on them. They deserve the thanks of all of us for doing the right thing.

I support @GovTimWalz’s new executive orders. As AG and MN’s chief legal officer, the Gov is continuing to act fully within his legal and constitutional authority in issuing all these orders. My office is ready to defend them & the Gov’s power to issue them. 1/5 I appreciate Gov’s care in gradually turning the dial on reopening Minnesota. He’s not just carelessly flipping a switch: he’s intentionally relying on epidemiology, testing & the science of human behavior in a way that will make life easier while also protecting life. 2/5

Join me in a nationwide #AskTheAG Q&A session on Friday, May 1 at 12PM.

Do you have questions about how we can protect workers, prevent evictions, stop price-gouging, and avoid scams during the #COVID19 pandemic?

I’ve got answers.

Tweet your question using #AskAGEllison That’s frustrating and scary. I’m sorry that’s happening. I’m glad you’re staying at home and protecting yourself. I know DEED is overwhelmed. Although, we don’t administer UI you can always call my office at (651) 296-3353 and we can try to help you get through DEED. I see you.

https://twitter.com/massagenerd/status/1256270199843676160

I worked closely with @GovTimWalz on the Exec Order he just issued to ban price gouging on essential items: food, water, fuel, healthcare, personal hygiene, cleaning goods, etc. There’s a price-gouging complaint form on my website. Please report it to us.
ag.state.mn.us/Office/Forms/P… This EO is to stop pandemic profiteering. Most retailers are doing the right thing by ppl & charge normal prices for these goods. But some are using the emergency to line their pockets. It’s happening & it’s disgusting. My office has already had 150+ complaints about it.

Starting today 30K+ MN Comcast customers will get relief from being overcharged and deceived. My office reached a settlement in our lawsuit that is worth millions to customers & will give everyone relief from their abusive advertising/marketing practices. ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communi… Part of affording your life means knowing how much you’re going to pay for what you get, getting what you were promised, not being charged for things you didn’t ask for or to get rid of things you didn’t ask for. When people signed up for Comcast, that’s not what happened.

My job is to help ppl afford their lives. Sometimes that means holding cos accountable that break the law & make that harder. CenturyLink is one of them. They fraudulently overbilled MN customers and illegally raised their prices. We held them to account. ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communi… Today I announced my office has obtained a $9M settlement of our lawsuit against CenturyLink for overcharging MN customers. That's money that will go back into Minnesotans’ pockets.

1/ My job as MN Attorney General is to help people afford their lives and live with dignity & respect. People focus a lot on what Pres Trump says, especially with him in MN today. I get that. But in my job, I also have to stay focused on what the Trump Administration is *doing.* 2/ That’s bc the Trump Administration—not just Trump himself, but the departments & agencies under him—is actually doing a lot to make it *harder* for you to afford your life and live with dignity & respect. Some of that agenda has made headlines but a lot hasn’t. For example:

(1/4) Outrageous. @KSTP found Ricardo Batres, who’s awaiting trial for labor trafficking, theft, and insurance fraud working again on a job site.

kstp.com/news/labor-tra… (2/4) Batres hired undocumented workers, then stole their wages, denied them medical care, and threatened them with violence and deportation if they complained. It’s vile and a stain on our values as Minnesotans.

m.startribune.com/charges-twin-c…

(1/7) It’s simple: everyone deserves to and must live with dignity and respect—no exceptions. Basic to living with dignity and respect is knowing that when you walk into a business that serves the public, you will be served like any other member of the public. Period. Full stop. (2/7) Today, a split court said “no.” The majority of the 8th Circuit held that the 1st Amendment allows a business owner to discriminate against same-sex couples, in violation of the MN Human Rights Act.

(1/6) Some of my basic beliefs: Reproductive healthcare is a right. Politics should stay out of the dr/patient relationship. MN women know what’s best for them. That’s why in March I joined 20 other AGs in suing the fed govt over the Title X gag rule. ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communi… (2/6) The gag rule violates all those principles and makes it harder for MN women to afford their lives & live w dignity. Tho the case is ongoing the govt forced @ppmn’s hand, so now they’ve dropped out of Title X entirely. This hurts all Minnesotans. startribune.com/planned-parent…

Today is the first of three all-day hearings of the new working group that DPS Commissioner John Harrington and I founded to take on deadly-force encounters with law enforcement. It's past time: there have been just over 100 of them in MN since 2014, 60% of them in Greater MN. Our goal is to take a systemic, 360-degree look at every aspect of deadly-force encounters. Our eyes and ears are wide open. We have no agenda and we’re not here to defend anything. We want to hear it all: the good, the bad, the ugly.

Today, I visited MCF-Oak Park Heights to host a listening session with the incarcerated men and hear from the staff. This is the fifth listening session I’ve held in a @MinnCorrections prison in my first five months. If you can’t come to the community meeting. We will come to you After having a listening session with the incarcerated men, I heard from the dedicated staff. I listened to their stories and ways we can work together to make sure they are able to leave work safe everyday and get the services they need. Thank you for your hard work.

This past weekend I drove to @FergusFallsMN and White Earth Reservation to host a series of community meetings. I am committed to hearing from the voices of Minnesotans across the state to make sure the AG’s office is working for you. Our first meeting was with an awesome group, the Fergus Falls Diversity-Equity-Inclusion Community of Practice and Mayor @ffmayorben. We focused on combating hate and discrimination in Greater MN. Thank you for being on the frontlines on working on bringing people together.

Held another listening session this week at MCF-Lino Lakes. I'm everyone's AG – whether or not ppl voted for me or weren’t even able to vote like the men here weren’t. If they can't come to me, I'll go to them. I listened to residents talk about their concerns about finding housing and jobs when they get out, because when they get out, they don't want to go back. I also heard them take responsibility for why they're incarcerated and what they're doing and have done to learn and grow.

(1/7) Thx to @MinneapolisPD for update on record-high rash of overdoses, many related to opioids. Two things to know:

https://twitter.com/MinneapolisPD/status/1136730549098307585

(2/7) 1st: If you’re with someone having an overdose, CALL 911 immediately. If you think/know it’s an opioid overdose, administer Narcan (naxolone). If you do, you’re protected under MN law. Keep Narcan handy if you’re close to someone at risk.