Over the past several months, Missouri and Florida have gone on the offensive against the nation’s largest proxy advisors related to what they deemed “radical” agendas in providing proxy advice. In Texas, two of the largest proxy advisors, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) and Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC (“Glass Lewis”), punched first, filing separate

Each week, Crowell & Moring’s State Attorneys General team highlights significant actions that State AGs have taken. See our State Attorneys General page for more insights. Below are the updates from May 15-21, 2025

Multistate

  • A bipartisan coalition of 40 state and territory attorneys general sent a letter to Congressional leaders opposing a provision in a federal budget reconciliation bill that would bar states from enforcing any state laws or regulations regarding artificial intelligence and automated decision-making systems for the next ten years. The letter argues that the 10-year moratorium with no proposed federal regulatory replacement would “directly harm consumers, deprive them of rights currently held in many states, and prevent State AGs from fulfilling their mandate to protect consumers.”
  • A coalition of 18 state attorneys general filed an amicus brief in National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education v. Trump, supporting the plaintiffs’ challenge to President Trump’s recent executive orders targeting equity, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility (“DEIA”) programs. The brief seeks affirmation from the Fourth Circuit of a preliminary injunction and argues that the amici States are harmed by the vague terms of the executive orders and their chilling effects on private entities.
Continue Reading State AG News: AI Reconciliation Bill, DEIA, Consumer Protection May 15-21, 2025

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is investigating two leading proxy advisors’ advice involving the consideration of ESG and DEI to determine if the advice constitutes deceptive or unfair trade practices under FL law or a violation of FL antitrust law. Click here to read the full alert.