Attorney General Steve Rowe today filed court papers against the nation's major tobacco companies asking the Kennebec County Superior Court to find that Maine diligently enforced the laws it passed under the 1998 tobacco settlement agreement and that it is entitled to its full annual payment of approximately $50 million. Some tobacco companies withheld approximately 18% of payments due and disbursed to the states this week. Maine received almost $44.5 million from the companies this week.

Today in Bangor, Assistant Attorney General William R. Stokes, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Colonel Craig A. Poulin, Chief of the Maine State Police, held a news conference at which Stokes read the following statement regarding the investigation of the 2003 New Sweden poisonings:

Attorney General Steve Rowe and Governor John Baldacci today announced that Maine joined four other states in challenging the constitutionality of provisions requiring states to pay part of the cost of the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. The challenge was filed in the United States Supreme Court today. Ten other states joined in a brief supporting the five petitioning states.

Today State officials including Governor John Baldacci, Attorney General Steve Rowe and Public Safety Commissioner Michael Cantara highlighted the issue of teen dating violence at a student forum at Winthrop High School. This was just one of many events going on in high schools throughout Maine during National Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness Week. Teen dating violence is a serious issue that affects many students in our schools. One in four dating relationships during high school are verbally, emotionally, physically and/or sexually abusive.

Attorney General Steve Rowe and Consumer Credit Regulation Director Will Lund today announced that Maine has joined other states in settling claims against Ameriquest Mortgage Company, the nation's largest sub-prime lender and the second-largest mortgage lender in Maine. Ameriquest has agreed to pay $295 million to consumers, including 1,124 from Maine, who were harmed by unfair practices and to make sweeping lending reforms. Affected consumers will be contacted by mail.

Attorney General Steve Rowe announced today that the State has appealed a federal court decision that struck down Maine's 1989 Micmac Settlement Act and declared that the Maine Human Rights Act may not be enforced against the Aroostook Band of Micmacs. The decision seems to leave open the possibility that the Band is exempt from other state laws. The potentially far-reaching impact of the ruling led Rowe to decide to seek review by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Attorney General Steve Rowe announced today that Maine has joined 46 other states and the District of Columbia in an agreement with Western Union Financial Services, Inc., aimed at preventing the use of the company's wire transfer services by fraudulent schemers. Western Union will, among other things, fund an $8.1 million national consumer awareness program and set out very prominent consumer warnings on the forms used by consumers to wire money. Western Union Financial Services is a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Data Corporation, based in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Today at a meeting at Baxter State Park headquarters in Millinocket, the three members of the Baxter State Park Authority (Attorney General Steve Rowe, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Dan Martin, and Maine Forest Service Director Alec Giffen) appointed Jensen Bissell of Milo as the new Park Director.

Bissell has more than 30 years of experience in resource management and has served as Resource Manager of Baxter State Park since 1987.

Attorney General Steve Rowe announced today that the State Medicaid Program ("MaineCare") has received a check for $207,334.29 as part of a final settlement in a multi-state action against the pharmaceutical company Serono Inc, a Swiss corporation with offices in Rockland, Massachusetts. Maine joined with 41 states and the District of Columbia in charging that Serono had promoted the drug Serostim for the treatment of HIV-wasting, an AIDS related syndrome, when the drug had not been approved by the FDA for that purpose.

The Office of the Attorney General announced today that the state has settled an antitrust suit challenging the acquisition of a number of salmon aquaculture lease sites in Washington and Hancock Counties by Cooke Aquaculture Inc. Cooke plans to acquire the sites from Stolt Sea Farms, Inc. The acquisition would have placed Cooke in a virtual monopoly position, controlling most of the lease sites in the State suitable for raising salmon.