News/Events

Says, ‘law enforcement will have an additional tool to shut down these illegal calls.’

LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today issued a statement praising the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act.

“The unanimous Senate vote today is a welcome tool to help stop the incessant, irritating robocalls we all receive,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “I have led the charge in Arkansas to stop these illegal calls, but this is a national problem that needs multifaceted solutions. Arkansans and all Americans can find hope in knowing this legislation is heading to President Trump’s desk, and with his signature, law enforcement will have an additional tool to shut down these illegal calls.”

Rutledge led the fight against robocalls by working with state legislators to pass legislation to require telecommunication providers to submit annual reports to the Arkansas Public Service Commission to certify that all available and applicable technology is being employed to identify and block illegal robocalls and spoofing.

Rutledge also joined a bipartisan, public/private coalition agreement with every state attorneys general and 12 phone companies earlier this year. The coalition adopted eight principals to fight illegal robocalls and pave the way for attorneys general to investigate and prosecute bad actors.

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today joined a bipartisan coalition of 56 attorneys general in calling for Congress to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs. Schedule I drugs are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

“Fentanyl is an increasingly common, cheap and lethal drug,” Attorney General Rutledge said. “Its pain-relieving effects are greatly overshadowed by the overwhelming number of overdoses and addictions it has caused. Keeping its classification as Schedule I means that law enforcement and courts can bring criminal actions against those who manufacture, distribute or handle fentanyl-related substances.”

In the letter, the attorneys general urge Congress to pass S. 2701, the Federal Initiative to Guarantee Health by Targeting (FIGHT) Fentanyl Act, a bipartisan bill.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a temporary scheduling order in February 2018 to make any fentanyl-related substances a Schedule I Drug. This scheduling order is set to expire on Feb. 6, 2020. The FIGHT Fentanyl Act codifies DEA precedent to schedule fentanyl-related substances.

The FIGHT Fentanyl Act will ensure law enforcement agencies and courts retain the tools needed to keep those who traffic in this deadly substance off the streets.

In the most recent data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 72,000 drug-related deaths in the United States in 2017. Of those deaths, roughly 40% involved fentanyl or a fentanyl-related compound.

LITTLE ROCK— Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today announced joining an 18-state alliance urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that unnecessarily blocked construction on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and impedes the nation’s economic growth.

“This pipeline is a vital source of energy and economic development for the entire country,” Attorney General Rutledge said. “It is critical the law is interpreted accurately as to not set a dangerous precedent that can slow future progress.”

The coalition’s amicus brief filed Monday argues the appeals court was inaccurate in ruling the U.S. Forest Service lacked authority to grant the Atlantic Coast Pipeline rights-of-way through forestland beneath federal trails.

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline will transport natural gas through five West Virginia counties en route to Virginia and North Carolina. The halting of pipeline construction has cost jobs and lost revenue from income and property taxes.

If left intact, the attorneys general argue the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling would transform 1,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail into a near-impenetrable barrier to energy development – all due to a one-tenth mile crossing deep beneath the surface on a 600-mile pipeline.

If applied nationwide, the coalition argues the lower court decision would seal off more than 11,000 miles of federal trails from development and potentially disrupt the national power grid because of the chilling effect it could have on infrastructure investment.

Along with Arkansas, the West Virginia-led brief received support from Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

Investigation and arrest made by AG’s Special Investigations Department

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today announced the charge and arrest of a Hot Springs Village man who faces 30 counts of distributing, possessing or viewing of matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, a class C Felony.