On the Issues

"I will not wait on the federal government to take action; I will investigate and prosecute those selling dangerous products to consumers."

When corporations abuse their power and influence to defraud consumers, when they produce shoddy products or try to sell contaminated food, the Attorney General has the responsibility to defend and protect consumers.  The Attorney General is the "people's lawyer."

"I will use every resource of the attorney general's office to vigorously prosecute those corporations and individuals that use the Internet to commit crimes."

Many Missourians are being preyed upon by criminals and unscrupulous businesses that use the Internet to steal and harass from afar. The Office of the Attorney General is often the only place they can turn for help to investigate and prosecute these criminals. As attorney general, I will use every resource of the office to vigorously prosecute those corporations and individuals that use the Internet to commit crimes.

CAFOs are Confined Animal Feeding Operations, large-scale factory farms that produce an excessive amount of animal waste. Many Missourians object to the presence of CAFOs in their area because the massive amounts of animal waste can contaminate groundwater. The unpleasant smell also discourages hunters, fishers, and tourists from visiting the area, hurting local economies that depend on tourism. 

1) I strongly support local control of CAFOs and restrictions on CAFO locations near state parks and sites.

"I will pursue every remedy at our disposal including working with local and federal officials to eradicate meth labs and bring those who are responsible for these illegal operations to justice."

One of the biggest challenges facing Missouri law enforcement is the illegal manufacture of methamphetamines. Methamphetamines are addictive, a serious health risk, and promote erratic and violent behavior, and the illegal manufacture of "meth" has been responsible for injuries to fire and law enforcement officials and innocent bystanders when these makeshift facilities have exploded and caught fire. The toxic chemicals needed to produce the drugs also are typically not disposed of properly and pose an additional risk to the environment.

During 2006, Missouri law enforcement seized 1,284 laboratories, down from a record 2,860 seized in 2003. This was a result of new tougher laws and increased funding for law enforcement passed by the Missouri legislature. Missouri has turned the tide against meth producers, but we can do more to protect our communities from this deadly drug.

As attorney general, I will pursue every remedy at our disposal including working with local and federal officials to eradicate meth labs and bring those who are responsible for these illegal operations to justice.

"I will prosecute providers who defraud Medicaid and steal health care funding from our most vulnerable."

As the ranking Democratic member on the House Budget Committee, I led the fight against Governor Blunt's shortsighted Medicaid cuts and have been a champion for ensuring that all Missourians have access to quality health care. I will continue that commitment as attorney general by prosecuting providers who defraud Medicaid. Medicaid fraud is a serious crime that harms patients' quality of care and reduces funding for needed services. The Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducts fraud and abuse investigations on health care providers receiving payments from the Medicaid program. The unit has recovered over $80 million since its inception. I will build on the success of the unit by calling for increased penalties for violators and encouraging individuals to report fraud under Missouri's new whistleblower statute.

"I will fight to protect our environment by prosecuting polluters who contaminate our air and streams and oppose efforts to weaken our environmental laws in Missouri."

Missouri is blessed with abundant natural resources and is especially defined by its rivers and streams. Our communities and economy are built around them. Unfortunately, our natural resources are under assault from unchecked growth and air and water pollutants. Only half of Missouri's waterways meet water quality goals established in the Clean Water Act. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations have discharged millions of gallons of liquefied feces into the streams and rivers of Missouri. The St. Louis area is still not in compliance with the Clean Air Act. These problems will not go away until our state government actively pursues solutions.

One of the primary responsibilities of the Attorney General's office is safeguarding the public by protecting the environment. As attorney general, I will fight to protect and improve our environment by prosecuting polluters who contaminate our air and streams and fighting for stronger environmental laws in Missouri.

My record in the legislature shows clearly where I stand on the importance of keeping our environment pristine for our generation and future generations and I would continue that work as Attorney General. Whether it involves mining in the Ozarks or dumping in one of the hundreds of gorgeous rivers and streams throughout our state, it will be the responsibility of my office to ensure that everything is done within our power to keep our water and air clean.  Punitive damages will be taken against the polluting entity as necessary. It will also help if we can return to the state more control over environmental initiatives rather than ceding this authority to the federal government. With the proper leadership, the state could be more successful in working for “greener” solutions.

"I will ensure that Missouri employers are informed of our state's labor laws, and I will prosecute those that ignore them."

I have been a part of - and worked with - the labor movement all of my life.  I am a former member of the Illinois CWA and the Wisconsin NEA.  I have a 100% AFL-CIO voting record as a state representative.

It is a basic right of workers in our country not to be exploited: to be paid a fair wage and to have safe and decent working conditions.  State attorneys general have not always done enough to protect this right, but as workers see their wages, pensions and safety constantly threatened, attorneys general must proactively defend workers' rights.  As attorney general, I will enforce wage and hour laws, workplace safety, workers' compensation and unemployment insurance.

In Missouri, we especially need to be vigilant enforcing new state and federal minimum wage laws.  Missouri voters last year increased the state minimum wage and required annual increases based on cost-of-living growth, and Congress this year raised the federal minimum wage.  This will be confusing for employers and employees, as they try to keep up with which law requires the higher minimum wage.  I will initiate an aggressive education and enforcement campaign to ensure that all workers are paid the required wage.

Recent events also call for attorneys general to keep a close watch on pension plans.  A pension is a promise made to workers by their employer and must be respected as such.  I will defend Missouri's public pensions and make certain Missouri companies are complying with the 2006 Pension Protection Act.

1) I have proposed increasing penalties for scam artists who prey on senior citizens. I will continue to advocate for such a measure, and I will prosecute these scam artists agressively.

2) To empower seniors and their families when faced with this type of crime, I plan to establish the Senior Citizen Consumer Fraud Hotline, a simple way to report and get questions answers about consumer and financial fraud.

3)I will vigorously pursue abuse and exploitation of the elderly in nursing homes and by in-home care provides.

"Long before attention was focused on sexual predators, I was fighting to prevent them from ever harming another child. Protecting women and children from sexual predators will be a priority in the attorney general's office."

The Internet should be a safe environment for families to learn and shop. As a mother and as a public official, I am incensed at the growing use of the Internet by sexual predators to victimize children. As detailed in a report by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the risks to children online are disturbing and a call to action:

• 1 in 7 children will be the victim of unwanted sexual solicitations;
• 1 in 3 children will be unwillingly exposed to sexual material; and
• 1 in 11 children will be threatened or have other offensive behavior directed at them.

As attorney general, I will instruct the AG's Cyber Crime Unit to work with the Missouri Department of Public Safety's Computer Forensic Unit and local law enforcement to conduct investigations and prosecute crimes involving child pornography. I will also create a Fugitive Unit to complement the work of the Cyber Crimes Unit. The Fugitive Unit will locate convicted child sex offenders who have violated the terms of their parole and could be stalking children and work with local law enforcement to bring them into custody.

Long before political attention was focused on sexual predators, I was fighting to prevent them from ever harming another child. I was regularly appointed by the judges to represent the interests of children because they knew I would not back down. Protecting women and children from sexual predators and sexual abuse will be a priority of the Attorney General's office. I will work with judges and law enforcement officials to develop legislation to assist prosecution of these criminals.

Many voters are unsure of the duties of a state attorney general.  The following is a good overview from the National Association of Attorneys General: 

The Attorney General is popularly elected in 43 states, as well as in Guam, and is appointed by the governor in five states (Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Wyoming) and in the four jurisdictions of American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. In Maine, the Attorney General is selected by secret ballot of the legislature and in Tennessee, by the state Supreme Court. In the District of Columbia, the Mayor appoints the Attorney General whose powers and duties are similar to those of the Attorneys General of the states and jurisdictions.

As chief legal officers of the states, commonwealths, and territories of the United States, the Attorneys General serve as counselors to state government agencies and legislatures, and as representatives of the public interest. It is often said that Attorneys General occupy the intersection of law and public policy, dealing in areas as diverse as child support enforcement, drug policy, and environmental protection.