Looking Ahead

If entrusted by the people of Oregon to serve as Attorney General for another term, I hope to continue the initiatives my office has begun over these past eight years and undertake some new priorities as well.

• My top priority for the coming year will be to making the strongest contribution I can to sound legislative decisions about budgeting of 2005-07 public safety resources and law changes, in the wake of the Governor’s public safety system review (in which I chaired the Adult Sentencing Committee). Part of that effort involves helping build law enforcement consensus about funding priorities, including response to the excellent work and recommendations of the Governor’s Meth Task Force addressing all aspects of the challenge—and tragedy—of methamphetamine.

• I want to continue enhancing our consumer protection efforts, including our role in multi-state efforts that have addressed wrongdoing (like pharmaceutical industry misconduct and wholesale electricity market manipulation) that impacts large numbers of individuals, businesses and governments as consumers.

• I want to continue improving crime victims services, with particular attention to enhancing a coordinated community response to sexual assault and domestic violence; and final adoption of standards for batterer intervention programs. Because incomplete restitution by offenders for economic losses they cause has been a major frustration of victims with the criminal justice system, I also want to build on the restitution law reforms achieved by my Task Force with special attention to collection improvement.

• And across all the work of the Department of Justice—reviewed elsewhere in this website—I want to continue trying to provide the largest contribution my Department colleagues and I can make to Oregon’s well-being with the resources the Legislature gives us. That work, of course, includes my responsibilities as the chief lawyer for state government. I have seen that role as a special opportunity to help ensure that state government is acting lawfully in all its actions. And in that role I have been committed to keeping the Department’s legal advice free of any personal or political agenda of my own.

On September 14, 2004, the Salem Statesman Journal headlined its editorial endorsing my reelection: “Myers’ leadership, record worthy of reelection.” I hope that will be your judgment also.