Program date: Sept. 27, 2024
Air date: Sept. 30, 2024
From the City Club of Eugene:
In Oregon, the Attorney General holds a statutory office within the executive branch of the state. The attorney general serves as the chief legal officer of the state and heads the state’s department of justice. The AG is elected in presidential election years and does not have term limits.
The Department of Justice prosecutes some crimes and helps crime victims, safeguards consumers from fraud and unfair business practices, and advocates for vulnerable children. In civil court, it represents the state and its employees. The Attorney General also decides what national lawsuits to join. The current Attorney General, Ellen Rosenblum, is not running for re-election.
Our discussion is moderated by Michael Dunne of KLCC.
Speakers:
Will Lathrop is a sixth-generation Oregonian, born and raised on a cattle ranch in Joseph. For nine years, Will served as a Deputy District Attorney in Yamhill County and in Marion County’s Special Victims Unit. He prosecuted homicides, domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and drug trafficking cases, but his focus was on being a voice for children, protecting them from sexual abuse, and ensuring that victims received justice.
Will has always been an advocate for victims of crime and was recruited to the National District Attorney’s Association to help train law enforcement and modernize practices to better serve and protect crime victims across the nation.
He joined a global human rights organization in Africa to combat criminal land raiders and protect widows and orphans from violence in Uganda, following its 21-year civil war. After three years, Will was promoted to lead the West Africa anti-human trafficking operation in Ghana. There, he led a large multinational team to rescue children from forced labor and prosecute child traffickers in court.
With local, national and international law enforcement experience, and executive leadership experience, Will is uniquely qualified to lead the Department of Justice.
Dan Rayfield is an experienced attorney and former Speaker of the Oregon House. He currently serves as state representative for Oregon House District 16, encompassing Oregon State University and Corvallis, where he lives with his wife and son.
As Speaker, Dan delivered for Oregonians by passing laws to expand access to health care, increase funding for public schools, raise the minimum wage, and make our justice system more accountable and effective. In 2023, Dan stepped down as Speaker to run for Oregon Attorney General in the 2024 election.
As the Attorney General for all Oregonians, Dan plans to defend Oregon women from national attacks on abortion rights, hold polluters accountable, protect families and seniors from predatory lenders, and keep our communities safe. His supporters include Planned Parenthood, nurses, firefighters, frontline law enforcement officers, teachers, and the Oregon League of Conservation Voters.
About the City Club of Eugene:
The mission of the City Club of Eugene is to build community vision through open inquiry. The Club explores a wide range of significant local, state, and national issues and helps to formulate new approaches and solutions to problems. Membership is open to all, and Club members have a direct influence on public policy by discussing issues of concern with elected officials and other policy makers. The City Club’s mailing address is PO Box 12084, Eugene, OR 97440, and its website is cityclubofeugene.org.
Video and Broadcast
This program will be live streamed, and the videotape will be made available on the City Club of Eugene’s Facebook page and You Tube Channel, in addition to our website. It will be broadcast on Monday, Sept. 30, at 7:00 p.m., on KLCC 89.7 FM.
Contact: For more information, visit CityClubOfEugene.org.