SALYERSVILLE – Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron visited Magoffin County on Wednesday, meeting with local leaders and discussing current priorities of the office.
State Representative John Blanton introduced Cameron, explaining that he had reached out wanting to meet with the community.
AG Cameron thanked the community leaders in attendance for their service and explained that his office will help them in any way possible, committed to uphold the law and improve on public safety.
“As attorney general, it is my responsibility to stand up for your Constitutional rights,” Cameron said. “It may not always be the popular thing to do, but it is the responsible thing to do as the attorney general.”
He explained that he respects the president’s, governor’s, county judge/executives’ and mayors’ roles in public safety, especially during the pandemic, but that the AG’s office must continue to make sure Constitutional rights remain protected.
Cameron also noted that his office wants to practice “being a good neighbor,” highlighting serving communities with the new media campaign “Your Eyes Save Lives,” which spreads awareness of human trafficking in Kentucky, urging local leaders to look out for the signs of human trafficking in their communities.
“Kentucky since 2007 has seen over 2,000 reports of human trafficking as it relates to the national human trafficking hotline,” Cameron said. “In 2020, the Department of Community Based Services had a report out that said there were over 200 reports of child human trafficking. That is human trafficking related to children. This is something that is important to me and something that is important to our office.”
He also explained that his office has also unveiled a child abuse prosecutorial toolkit, to help prosecutors and county attorneys at local levels to try those cases more effectively.
Magoffin County Judge/Executive Matt Wireman welcomed Cameron to Magoffin, with the two discussing an instance where a local woman could not get propane delivered due to a narrow bridge. The woman called the attorney general’s office, who contacted the county judge’s office. Wireman was able to get a crew out to replace a couple of boards to satisfy the delivery truck’s requirements, and the woman’s propane was delivered the next day.
Cameron and his team also announced that they will be starting a task force to look at unemployment fraud, something that the labor cabinet does not have enough staff to fully cover with their current caseloads.
Representative Blanton also explained that legislators pushed through a bill that would give the attorney general the authority to stop abortion facilities to cease during the pandemic and to follow other regulations. Blanton explained that the bill has been vetoed, but he expects the legislation will override it, noting that part of Cameron’s responsibility is to defend the legislators when they are sued or vetoed.
Cameron said that on a personal level he is pro-life and wants to stop the agonizing and painful procedures used during abortions, but noted that his job is to defend the will of the legislation, all the way up to the Supreme Court, if necessary.
“We want to be a voice for the voiceless, and we’ll continue fighting the good fight,” Cameron said. “If you pass it, we’ll defend it.
