Republican’s 12-point public safety plan conflicts with policy recommendations from the right and left, says ACLU advocate.
BY: MCKENNA HORSLEY | JULY 13, 2023 | 5:50 AM
LOUISVILLE — Republican Daniel Cameron says that as governor he would oppose subpoena powers for civilian police review boards and support giving Kentucky law enforcement officers a $5,000 bonus to improve recruitment and retention.
The proposals are part of a 12-point public safety plan that Cameron unveiled Tuesday and that focuses largely on Louisville.
Cameron’s other ideas include the legislature authorizing Kentucky State Police to conduct wiretaps and increasing penalties for drug traffickers, such as allowing murder charges against drug dealers when someone dies from a substance they distributed.
“Public safety is the first responsibility of the government,” said Cameron, who is currently Kentucky’s attorney general. “We don’t have streets that are safe. Our economy and our schools suffer. Every Kentuckian has the right to live and move freely around their community without fear.”
Cameron estimated the state has more than 12,000 officers, meaning that about $65 million would be needed to provide his proposed bonuses. He said funding could potentially come from the state’s “rainy day fund.”
Kentucky finished the 2023 fiscal year with a revenue surplus estimated at $1.4 billion, the third year in a row the surplus has topped $1 billion, while bringing in a record $15.1 billion in general fund tax revenue.
The Republican nominee for governor spoke about his plan at news conferences in Louisville and Lexington Tuesday. In Louisville, he was joined by law enforcement officials, including former KSP Commissioner Mark Miller, St. Matthews Chief of Police Barry Wilkerson and Oldham County Sheriff Tim Wakefield.