State Attorney General Dave Yost has moved to derail a massive suit against the opioid industry. He wants to halt the trial that's due to start in October in federal court in Cleveland to be delayed until the state's case against pharmaceutical companies is resolved.
The appeal is the latest attempt by Yost for the state to gain control of the opioid settlement case, which he argues would allow for a more comprehensive outcome.
"That we have fair, even settlement across the state rather than picking it apart. All the local governments lawsuits are basically just pieces of the state's lawsuit."
A bill would allow for Yost to take over more than a hundred lawsuits as part of the lawsuit being heard by a federal judge in Cleveland. Meanwhile, there's a potential deal up in the air that could allow every municipality in the country in on a settlement deal.
Several Ohio prosecutors and Gov. Mike DeWine have said this lawsuit should be left to the local governments, which have borne the costs for dealing with the opioid epidemic at the local level.
