Attorney general candidate visits with local officials

By CHRIS WALLER 

With Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon's job up for grabs in November, four candidates have announced they are running for the position.

One of those candidates, Representative Margaret Donnelly, took a trip to Callaway County on Friday.

Donnelly stopped in Fulton to meet with representatives from county government and law enforcement in order to find out what issues are on the minds of Callaway residents.

"I'm here to learn," Donnelly said. " I'm meeting with local prosecutors and law enforcement officials to talk with them about what they see the attorney general's office doing to help aid them in their jobs, and what the attorney general can do to give them the tools they need to do their jobs."

Donnelly is currently in her third term as a state representative from the 73rd district, which covers part of St. Louis County. Even though she is experienced with that county, she said that there are some issues which effect every county in Missouri.

"Some of the issues are different in different counties but some issues are consistent," Donnelly said. "We know that methamphetamine is a major problem here in Missouri.

"I have introduced a bill to put the purchases of cold ingredients that go into making meth online, so the local law enforcement will be able to check on local purchases and be able to keep track of them and more effectively prosecute meth producers. Local prosecutors say that is their number one challenge."

Donnelly has worked closely with Nixon on projects such as creating a statewide no-call list, and stated that consumer concerns should be important for the attorney general.

"I see consumer protection as the number one issue," Donnelly said. "That could be everything from dealing with dishonest lenders to those who commit scams against the elderly to dealing with unsafe products.

"I have introduced a bill to establish a children's product safety code that will make recalls of unsafe toys and products mandatory, right now its voluntary. When I ask people what concerns them, consumers issues are the number one issue where they want the attorney general to take action."

Donnelly will continue moving throughout Missouri, visiting local governments and gathering information.

"I really am just using these visits as an opportunity to learn how the attorney general can support local officials in fighting crime," Donnelly said.