Jun. 30—Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron visited Richmond on Wednesday as part of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce's Business @ Noon Luncheon Series. Cameron spoke to attendees of the luncheon about supporting local businesses, being aware of scams, and more.

Madison County Judge Executive Reagan Taylor introduced the Republican attorney general and reflected on how they got to know one another.

"I got to know Daniel on a personal level," Taylor told the crowd. "I was able to get to know him a little when he first ran for office. But I got to know him better when we worked together on the historic opioid settlement and agreement as a result of the drug epidemic facing our state... The drug epidemic is the biggest crisis that has ever faced the state of Kentucky and Madison County... I was able to work alongside him and other counties for the negotiation of the settlement to get the maximum amount of money returned to the Commonwealth."

The $483 million settlement, Taylor referred to, was from a lawsuit against pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson and three major distributors for their role in Kentucky's struggle with the opioid crisis. The legal battle spanned across both Cameron and Governor Andy Beshear's tenures at Kentucky Attorney General, as Beshear served in the role before being elected governor.

Cameron opened his remarks with a discussion about supporting small businesses.

"One of the things a lot of folks perhaps don't know about me, is chambers (of commerce) are really important to me, because my parents owned a small business in Elizabethtown. It was a coffee shop," Cameron said. "I saw first-hand the challenges that come with owning and running your own business. That experience shaped me and it's why when I go to a small town, it's often one of the first things I try to find is a coffee shop."

The attorney general then went into detail on some of the scams that have plagued the state and the actions his office have taken to prevent them.

"Last year, our office received 7,027 consumer reports of scams resulting in nearly $12 million in financial losses," Cameron said. "The impacts of these losses are both physical and psychological. Someone who has been scammed is less likely to purchase a product from a legitimate small business, especially one that has an online presence."

Cameron said his office aggressively reports on and shares information about scams. He noted that investments (scammers looking to get people into investments), impersonations (thieves pretending to be law enforcement officers or offering technical assistance), and identity theft are the most commonly reported scams.

"Not only do we want to identify scams, but we also want Kentuckians to be equipped with enough information to avoid being a victim of one of these schemes. It's why we have mediators and investigators on standby. It's why we issue alerts to the public when we are made aware of a scam," Cameron said. "It's why I've partnered with attorney generals across the country to cut down on dubious robo calls. So if you're on the fence about whether you should click on that great deal for baby formula from a website you've never heard of... don't be ashamed or embarrassed to contact our office or visit our website to check on this business or to report it."

He also spoke about the opioid epidemic, adding that he thought unemployment benefits were extended too long and the crisis has affected hiring rates.

According to Cameron, the aforementioned settlement will see the funding split 50-50. One half will be going directly into counties and cities, while the other will be used to form an Opioid Abatement Advisory Committee.

"This commission is comprised of community leaders who are committed to breaking the cycles of addiction and will facilitate the distribution of the state's share of the money and the funding will help finance a variety of projects — including intervention treatment and recovery services, transportation scholarships for certified addiction counselors and behavioral health providers, emergency response services, education initiatives, pre-trial services, wraparound services, and so many other programs that further opioid abatement here in the Commonwealth," Cameron said.

In closing, Cameron spoke about his conflicts with the Biden administration. Specifically, those regarding COVID-19 vaccine mandates and environmental policies. Cameron claimed his lawsuits targeting vaccine mandates were not about the efficacy of vaccines — but state sovereignty.

Cameron recently announced his bid for governor under the Republican banner in Kentucky's 2023 gubernatorial race. He also gave his support to the state's abortion trigger law which went into effect last week with the Supreme Court's reversing of Roe v. Wade.