I’m pleased to announce another major accomplishment in our ongoing efforts to fight high-tech crimes and protect children from online dangers. Building on the work of my Youth Internet Safety Task Force, the AGO’s High-Tech Unit and our Consumer Protection Division, we’ve added valuable new information to the Internet Safety section of our website.
In partnership with national Internet safety expert Linda Criddle, author of the Internet safety manual Look Both Ways, we’ve added fresh information for youth, adults, seniors and educators.
Our top tips for youth explain:
· How young people can put personal information at risk just by taking surveys, participating in chat, discussion boards and forums, online dating, creating personal e-mail aliases, sharing images and video, and gaming online.
· Most importantly, how to protect themselves online.
For adults, we offer:
· Ways to be smarter about spending and saving on-line, like creating strong passwords, identifying secure sites and safely participating in on-line auctions and classifieds;
· Tips for defensive computing, including things to keep in mind as you browse, download or share information via the Web; and
· Things to keep in mind while mobile computing, including using public computers and mobile phones.
Parents and educators will find information on:
· How to protect kids from on-line bullies;
· Unintentional consequences of sharing student information on-line, including photos, school sports schedules and other information that could expose students to predators.
· A checklist for family online safety, including a family Internet safety contract.
· A link to iKeepSafe Parent Resource Center, which offers additional resources and a free ParentCare download for MySpace parents.
The site also includes these tips for seniors:
· How to safely socialize on-line and avoid on-line dating scams;
· How to avoid scams that prey on emotions when you are posting information about weddings or deaths;
· Other specialized advice for those with limited experience on the Internet.
Please take a few moments to review these additions to our website. My hope is that you will join me in my efforts to educate Washington citizens, particularly our young people, about online dangers by forwarding these links to all of your family members, friends and neighbors who could benefit from this information. And, by asking each of them to do the same.
Having been at the forefront of this important issue in recent years, I cannot stress enough the importance of education when it comes to protecting ourselves and our loved ones from online crimes.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Rob McKenna
Attorney General
Showing posts with label Rob McKenna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rob McKenna. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Attorney General Rob McKenna's March 2008 "Must Read" Report
March 2008
Greetings,
It’s been nothing short of an extraordinary month here at the Attorney General’s Office. We had a productive 2008 Legislative Session, our high-tech unit tracked down another spyware bandit, we received national recognition for excellence in government technology and, of course, we won the Top-Two Primary case!
Citizens’ Victory: Top-Two Primary Reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court
On March 18th, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Washington’s top-two primary by a 7-2 vote, reinstating the wide-open primary system that voters overwhelming approved in 2004. The State has been enjoined from implementing the top-two primary since shortly after it was enacted. Washington has conducted a pick-a-party primary since September 2004, which requires voters to affiliate with one of the major political parties and limit their primary voting to that party’s slate of candidates. Washington will conduct its first top-two primary this August, allowing voters to choose their favorite candidate for each office without being limited to one party. The top two vote getters will advance to the general election, regardless of party. In the Supreme Court decision, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that overturning the top-two initiative would be an “extraordinary and precipitous nullification of the will of the people." Having personally argued this case before the Court last October 1st, I couldn’t agree more.
Legislators Adopts AGO Bills to Protect Communities and Strengthen Consumer ProtectionWe’ve also been celebrating the Legislature’s passage of some important new laws that we wrote and requested. Our bills assist victims of ID theft, target mortgage foreclosure “rescue” scams, shut down spyware, protect the privacy of cell phone numbers and provide shared leave benefits to victims of domestic violence. We were disappointed that, after passing the House with overwhelming support, the Senate failed to vote on our bill that would have made viewing child pornography a felony, and given law enforcement greater ability to investigate child pornography crimes. This request was an important recommendation of our Youth Internet Safety Task Force’s law enforcement group, and we will pursue it again in 2009.
We also will again pursue legislation recommended by my Eminent Domain Task Force, focusing on protecting private property owners from broad application of the state’s “community renewal” redevelopment law and supporting Rep. Springer’s bill that would provide private owners a right of first refusal to buy back their property when government takes it but then auctions it without putting it to a public use (as the Seattle Monorail Authority did, many times). Click here for more information on these bills.
New Division Formed to Handle Increasing AGO Criminal Justice Caseloads Also in March, in response to the growing size and complexity of our criminal justice caseloads, we reorganized our Criminal Justice Division and formed a new Corrections Division. The new division serves the Department of Corrections, Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, Washington State Patrol, Governor’s Clemency and Pardons Board, and the Governor’s Office on extraditions and detainers. It also responds to habeas corpus petitions by prisoners in the state system. The Division is led by Tim Lang and is based in Olympia.
The Criminal Justice Division includes the Criminal Litigation Unit, which prosecutes cases at the request of county prosecutors and the Governor, the Sexually Violent Predator Unit, the Homicide Investigation and Tracking System Unit (HITS) and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Lana Weinmann leads the Division from our Seattle office. Lana and her colleagues will continue to work closely with the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.
AGO Makes National “Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers” listThis list was created in 2002 by media company Government Technology to showcase the work of public-sector professionals from around the country who have strived to implement change while overcoming obstacles such as tight budgets and politics. A few weeks ago, the company honored my work on identity theft, spyware and related high-tech crimes. Andy Hill, our Information Services Director, was separately honored for his efforts in creating a standard by which Washington could manage digital records. Our office-wide vision is to be the best public law office in America, and receiving recognition like this underscores the national reputation we have acquired for innovation and leadership.
National Sunshine Week.
Once again this year, I was very active with National Sunshine Week activities, promoting the importance of open and accountable government through robust public records and open public meetings laws. I served on the Washington Coalition for Open Government’s Sunshine Week Panel with Auditor Brian Sonntag, Secretary of State Sam Reed and House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, among others, and teamed up with Sonntag and Kessler on a bill requiring audio taping of executive (closed) sessions of public bodies that are required to hold public meetings.
Looking Ahead
In April, we’ll be launching another Guard It! Washington tour to educate citizens and businesses across the state about identity theft. Last year’s tour was a huge success, and I’m looking forward to hitting the streets once more to engage as many communities as possible in the fight against identity theft. Also, we’ll be releasing the findings of our Gas Price study in a few weeks. Meanwhile, more information on these and many more AGO issues and cases can be found on our new website which was recognized last summer as the best in the west by the Conference of Western Attorneys General.
Sincerely,
Rob McKenna
Attorney General
Greetings,
It’s been nothing short of an extraordinary month here at the Attorney General’s Office. We had a productive 2008 Legislative Session, our high-tech unit tracked down another spyware bandit, we received national recognition for excellence in government technology and, of course, we won the Top-Two Primary case!
Citizens’ Victory: Top-Two Primary Reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court
On March 18th, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Washington’s top-two primary by a 7-2 vote, reinstating the wide-open primary system that voters overwhelming approved in 2004. The State has been enjoined from implementing the top-two primary since shortly after it was enacted. Washington has conducted a pick-a-party primary since September 2004, which requires voters to affiliate with one of the major political parties and limit their primary voting to that party’s slate of candidates. Washington will conduct its first top-two primary this August, allowing voters to choose their favorite candidate for each office without being limited to one party. The top two vote getters will advance to the general election, regardless of party. In the Supreme Court decision, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that overturning the top-two initiative would be an “extraordinary and precipitous nullification of the will of the people." Having personally argued this case before the Court last October 1st, I couldn’t agree more.
Legislators Adopts AGO Bills to Protect Communities and Strengthen Consumer ProtectionWe’ve also been celebrating the Legislature’s passage of some important new laws that we wrote and requested. Our bills assist victims of ID theft, target mortgage foreclosure “rescue” scams, shut down spyware, protect the privacy of cell phone numbers and provide shared leave benefits to victims of domestic violence. We were disappointed that, after passing the House with overwhelming support, the Senate failed to vote on our bill that would have made viewing child pornography a felony, and given law enforcement greater ability to investigate child pornography crimes. This request was an important recommendation of our Youth Internet Safety Task Force’s law enforcement group, and we will pursue it again in 2009.
We also will again pursue legislation recommended by my Eminent Domain Task Force, focusing on protecting private property owners from broad application of the state’s “community renewal” redevelopment law and supporting Rep. Springer’s bill that would provide private owners a right of first refusal to buy back their property when government takes it but then auctions it without putting it to a public use (as the Seattle Monorail Authority did, many times). Click here for more information on these bills.
New Division Formed to Handle Increasing AGO Criminal Justice Caseloads Also in March, in response to the growing size and complexity of our criminal justice caseloads, we reorganized our Criminal Justice Division and formed a new Corrections Division. The new division serves the Department of Corrections, Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, Washington State Patrol, Governor’s Clemency and Pardons Board, and the Governor’s Office on extraditions and detainers. It also responds to habeas corpus petitions by prisoners in the state system. The Division is led by Tim Lang and is based in Olympia.
The Criminal Justice Division includes the Criminal Litigation Unit, which prosecutes cases at the request of county prosecutors and the Governor, the Sexually Violent Predator Unit, the Homicide Investigation and Tracking System Unit (HITS) and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Lana Weinmann leads the Division from our Seattle office. Lana and her colleagues will continue to work closely with the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.
AGO Makes National “Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers” listThis list was created in 2002 by media company Government Technology to showcase the work of public-sector professionals from around the country who have strived to implement change while overcoming obstacles such as tight budgets and politics. A few weeks ago, the company honored my work on identity theft, spyware and related high-tech crimes. Andy Hill, our Information Services Director, was separately honored for his efforts in creating a standard by which Washington could manage digital records. Our office-wide vision is to be the best public law office in America, and receiving recognition like this underscores the national reputation we have acquired for innovation and leadership.
National Sunshine Week.
Once again this year, I was very active with National Sunshine Week activities, promoting the importance of open and accountable government through robust public records and open public meetings laws. I served on the Washington Coalition for Open Government’s Sunshine Week Panel with Auditor Brian Sonntag, Secretary of State Sam Reed and House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, among others, and teamed up with Sonntag and Kessler on a bill requiring audio taping of executive (closed) sessions of public bodies that are required to hold public meetings.
Looking Ahead
In April, we’ll be launching another Guard It! Washington tour to educate citizens and businesses across the state about identity theft. Last year’s tour was a huge success, and I’m looking forward to hitting the streets once more to engage as many communities as possible in the fight against identity theft. Also, we’ll be releasing the findings of our Gas Price study in a few weeks. Meanwhile, more information on these and many more AGO issues and cases can be found on our new website which was recognized last summer as the best in the west by the Conference of Western Attorneys General.
Sincerely,
Rob McKenna
Attorney General
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