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U.S. NEWS Monday 2 SepteMber 2019

Ohio attorney general sues

to stop upcoming opioid trials

By ANDREW WELSH-HUG- starts in October. Many of Draft legislation backed
GINS those lawsuits target Pur- by Yost would consolidate
Associated Press due Pharma, the maker all local lawsuits against
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — of OxyContin, a company opioid companies under a
Upcoming trials seen as test seen as the villain in the state umbrella and allow
cases for forcing drugmak- opioid epidemic because the state to negotiate on
ers to pay for societal dam- of its aggressive market- behalf of all residents and
age inflicted by the opioid ing of the highly addictive allot any settlement money
epidemic should be de- painkiller. Published reports accordingly.
layed until Ohio’s own law- last week said the com- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a In this Nov. 6, 2018 file photo, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost
suits against the drugmak- pany was offering to settle fellow Republican, called speaks at the Ohio Republican Party event in Columbus, Ohio.
ers can be heard, Ohio At- for $10 billion to $12 bil- that a “serious mistake” Associated Press
torney General Dave Yost lion, a move drawing criti- and said he would never and local governments lergan — settled with the
argued in a lawsuit. cism from some attorneys sign such a bill. have “borne a great deal two Ohio counties, with
Yost, a Republican, said at- general who said it wasn’t DeWine said the legal pro- of that cost.” Endo agreeing to pay $10
tempts to force drugmak- enough. cess should go through the Earlier this month, two drug million and Allergan paying
ers to pay should come in a Yost’s lawsuit angered court system since residents companies — Endo and Al- $5 million.q
single state action to allow communities scheduled to
equal distribution of money go to court as part of those
across Ohio. His lawsuit, bellwether trials. Akron
filed Friday in federal ap- Mayor Daniel Horrigan, a
peals court in Cincinnati, Democrat, said Yost’s filing
comes amidst urgent ne- ignores local governments’
gotiations over a poten- “constitutionally-protected
tially massive settlement interests” in seeking justice
between drugmakers and for taxpayers.”I stand with
thousands of communities my fellow counties and cit-
across the country. ies in protecting what we
The Ohio trials, involv- have worked so hard to
ing claims brought by build together — viable,
Cuyahoga and Summit meaningful and necessary
counties in northeastern litigation against the opioid
Ohio, are scheduled for manufacturers that preyed
October. They’re consid- upon our citizens and dev-
ered “bellwether” trials to astated our communities,”
test claims being brought Horrigan said.
against the drugmakers. Horrigan’s sentiments echo
“The hardest-hit counties what happened earlier this
of Appalachia and the year in Oklahoma, when
vast majority of the state the state settled with Pur-
are being asked to take a due for $270 million. Many
number and wait — and local governments in Okla-
that wait could delay or homa with their own law-
prevent justice,” Yost said suits declined to request
in a statement. part of the money in order
The federal litigation in- to pursue their own claims.
volving cities, counties and A similar proposal by the
tribal governments is be- Ohio Attorney General to
ing overseen by a judge in consolidate local lawsuits
Cleveland, who has been drew heated criticism last
pushing for a national set- week all the way up to the
tlement before the first trial governor’s office.