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February 3, 2012
Yesterday, House Speaker Greg Stumbo filed sweeping legislation to combat the scourge of prescription drug abuse across Kentucky. I have worked closely with the Speaker and Gov. Beshear to craft this legislation that will hold accountable doctors who overprescribe, take the operation of pain clinics out of the hands of entrepreneurs and give law enforcement increased access to KASPER data. I believe the legislation we are proposing will save lives in every corner of the Commonwealth.
There isn't a family or community in Kentucky that hasn't been affected by prescription pill abuse, and I am confident this legislation will pass in a bipartisan fashion. I look forward to announcing more details about this important legislation next week.
I was touched yesterday by the warm welcome I received from students, teachers and community leaders at North Oldham and Henry County high schools as my Keep Kentucky Kids Safe partners and I talked about the devastating consequences of prescription pill abuse. I was joined by Dr. Karen Shay, whose daughter, Sarah, died of a prescription drug overdose in 2006, and Dan Orman, Assistant Superintendent for Student Services in Oldham County Schools.
Raising awareness and educating our kids and parents about the dangers of abusing prescription pills is an integral part of my multi-pronged plan to fight this epidemic. For more information about our school programs and prevention efforts, please visit our Prescription Drug Abuse page.
I had the privilege on Wednesday of taking part in a drug summit hosted by Kentucky's two U.S. Attorneys, Kerry B. Harvey and David J. Hale, to talk about our efforts to crack down on pain clinics and the pill pipeline between Kentucky and Florida.
Also this week, I talked about the vital services my office provides to counties across the state at the Kentucky County Judge Executive Association's meeting in Lexington and provided members of the House Budget Review Subcommittee an overview of the important work my office does every day on behalf of Kentucky families, despite unprecedented budget cuts which have put my office at funding levels not seen since before 1997.
January 27, 2012
Working with the DEA and local and state law enforcement, we executed a search warrant on Wednesday at the Care More Pain Management Clinic in Paintsville, Ky. This is the second time in a year that my office has searched this clinic as part of our ongoing investigation into overprescribing physicians. Our efforts last year resulted in the federal indictment and guilty plea of Dr. Richard Albert, who allegedly prescribed more than 100,000 pills a month. For more information, please see our press release
In addition to our investigative efforts, I'm continuing to warn Kentucky kids about the dangers of prescription pill abuse. Next week, I'll visit with students at North Oldham High School and Henry County High as part of my Keep Kentucky Kids Safe prescription drug abuse prevention program. Please make sure to monitor and secure prescription medications in your home and safely dispose of unneeded pills. Visit my prescription drug abuse awareness page for a link to the prescription drug drop-off locations around Kentucky.
As you may have heard, more than 24 million Zappos.com customers are at risk for having their identities stolen or personal financial accounts compromised as a result of a data security breach. I am among nine attorneys general seeking more information about the breach, the adequacy of the Zappos' security practices and their notification of consumers. For more information, please see our press release.
Finally, in recognition of Data Privacy Day tomorrow, please make sure to follow these simple steps to protect your personal information online:
- Configure your wireless router to encrypt data.
- Know your privacy settings.
- Don't assume that public "hot spots" are secure.
- Always think before you post and never post vacation information.
More information is available at www.onguardonline.gov.
January 20, 2012
I have often said the fight against prescription drug abuse is an all-hands-on-deck issue. It was my privilege yesterday to join Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi at the Different Faces of Substance Abuse Conference in Lexington. Attorney General Bondi is not just a colleague; she is a friend and an important ally in our fight against illegal pill mills and the pill pipeline between Florida and Kentucky.
Attorney General Bondi has put aside politics and personal agendas to help protect her beloved home state from the scourge of prescription pill abuse and to stem the flow of illegal pills into states like Kentucky. We've both created prescription drug task forces to crack down on prescription pill diversion and overprescribing physicians. Last year, we joined forces to ensure successful implementation of a prescription drug monitoring program in Florida. Be assured, Attorney General Bondi and I will continue to work together to see that prescription monitoring programs are in place in all 50 states.(Press release)
I had an opportunity this week to highlight my second term priorities at a meeting of the Frankfort Rotary Club. Of course, combating prescription pill abuse in Kentucky remains a top priority. I have been working with Gov. Beshear and Speaker Stumbo on new initiatives to fight this epidemic, including comprehensive prescription drug legislation. I hope to have more information on our legislative efforts soon.
My other priority issues include going after the banks that created the mortgage foreclosure crisis and continuing our investigation into the questionable business practices of some for-profit schools.
January 13, 2012
I joined with my fellow Attorneys General this week in urging Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). In the 17 years since the law was put in place, the number of domestic violence cases has dropped by 50 percent. VAWA is an invaluable tool for those of us who work every day to investigate, prosecute and prevent domestic violence deaths. I hope you'll take a moment to read the letter we sent to Congress about the importance of VAWA.
Next week, I look forward to visiting with members of the Frankfort Rotary Club. I'll be talking to them about the latest news from my office and my priorities as I begin my second term as Attorney General.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and I will be the featured speakers at the Faces of Substance of Abuse conference in Lexington on Thursday, Jan. 19. Attorney General Bondi has been an important ally as we combat the scourge of prescription pill addiction in Kentucky and as we work to shut down the pill pipeline between our two states.
State offices will be closed on Monday, January 16 in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. We should all take time on Monday to reflect on Dr. King's legacy. His message of hope, healing and peace is as important today as it was decades ago.
January 6, 2012
It was a tremendous honor on Monday to be sworn in for a second term as Kentucky's 49th Attorney General. I ran for this job because I love Kentucky and saw an opportunity where I could make a difference. I believe my record over the past four years shows my steadfast commitment to standing up for Kentucky families.
I want to make the Commonwealth a better place for all of our families. That's why over the next four years, I'll continue to combat the scourge of prescription pill addiction and protect our kids from Internet predators.
I'll go after banks that created the mortgage foreclosure crisis and work every day to protect the interests of Kentucky taxpayers and ratepayers. We've already saved Kentuckians more than $1 billion in proposed rate increases and Medicaid fraud collections.
Also this week, I attended Governor Beshear's State of the Commonwealth address. I appreciate all that the Governor is doing for Kentucky during these challenging times and I look forward to working with him to win passage of sweeping prescription pill legislation.
Finally, I alerted consumers today to a new "Tech Support" telemarketing scam spreading across Kentucky. Remember, always be leery of unsolicited calls and never provide personal information to someone you do not know.