Friday is the deadline for Ohio communities suing drug makers and distributors to decide to continue with their lawsuits or to reach what鈥檚 likely to be a massive settlement over the opioid crisis.
Attorney General Dave Yost said there are several communities that haven鈥檛 yet had a chance to meet and discuss the One Ohio proposal, which he said would find its strength in numbers.
鈥淐ritical mass is going to be determined by the defendants 鈥� do they want to come to the table to talk to Ohio. I would say today we don鈥檛 have enough to get them to the table for an Ohio discussion.鈥�
Yost said he wants to move that deadline to give more communities a chance to sign on, and he said he'll talk to Gov. Mike DeWine about that. The two developed the One Ohio plan to present a united front during negotiations with drug manufacturers and distributors.
Everyday, more cities and counties sign on to OneOhio 鈥� a unified approach to the opioid lawsuits that provides more money and more control to local governments.
— Attorney General Dave Yost (@Yost4Ohio)
Elyria Council approves joining One Ohio plan to divide potential opioid settlements
Any settlement could be over a billion dollars.
The One Ohio deal would give Yost鈥檚 office 15 percent of any settlement, and 30 percent would go to communities. A nonprofit foundation would manage the remaining 55 percent.
