Oregon Department of Justice

Oregon Attorney General John Kroger today announced an ambitious agenda to tackle the state's meth crisis, clean up Oregon's environment, defend the civil rights of all Oregonians, and protect children and consumers.

"As your Attorney General, my highest priority is to protect our state and its citizens from crime, pollution, fraud, and discrimination," Kroger said. "This legislative agenda is tough and smart, giving us the tools we need to make sure our laws are properly enforced."

In a major address before Portland State University students, faculty and staff, Kroger announced five new initiatives based on his experience as a federal prosecutor and from the thousands of conversations he has had with voters across the state. All five proposals focus on improving the Department of Justice's capacity to enforce the law and protect Oregon's citizens. The total cost of the five initiatives is less than $2 million per year - less than 1% of the Department's current budget.

Attorney General Kroger's five new policy proposals are to:

• Fight internet sex predators by restoring funding for the Department of Justice's Internet Crimes Against Children program. This program led to the conviction of 65 child predators and child pornography offenders in less than two years.
• Prosecute major drug traffickers by funding the Department of Justice's organized crime section that focuses on large scale meth and drug trafficking.
• Hold polluters accountable when they violate our laws through the creation of an environmental crimes unit within the Department of Justice to prosecute serious environmental violations.
• Defend civil rights by creating a civil rights enforcement unit to protect Oregonians from discrimination based on race, age, gender, or sexual orientation and to stand up for reproductive rights, protect persons with disabilities, preserve civil liberties, and defend the employment rights of Oregon veterans.
• Protect Oregon consumers by giving the Attorney General the power to take legal action against debt collectors when they violate Oregon laws.

In addition to these proactive measures, the Attorney General highlighted two current Department of Justice programs that are critical to the state - the Defense of Criminal Convictions Program and Oregon's Child Support Program. The Defense of Criminal Convictions Program keeps convicted criminals behind bars by defending those convictions in Oregon's courts; the program is essential to Oregon public safety. The Department's Child Support Program works to make sure that the 300,000 single parents who are legally entitled to child support get the money they need to help raise their children.

Mr. Kroger encouraged the audience to get involved with his agenda, "Your involvement is even more important now that the election is over. We can make Oregon great, but we have to do it together. So get active, write a letter, lobby your elected officials - we all need to hear from you so we know how to do our jobs better."

• For more information please see "Protecting Oregon, Protecting You" (pdf)