Lawyers for the major lobbying arm of the pharmaceutical industry -- who oppose a drug-price cap proposal that could be on this November’s ballot -- want the Ohio Supreme Court to take a look at petitions that have been filed to put the issue before voters.
The measure would require state programs to pay no more for prescription medications than the federal Department of Veterans Affairs does. Columbus attorney Kurt Tunnell is asking the state high court to invalidate some of the petitions that backers have turned in to the state.
“We believe the petitions that have been gathered have clear, legal problems with respect to the signatures that were gathered.”
Tunnell says those problems include questions about residency and legal status of petition gatherers, as well as problems with the petitions themselves. Tunnell’s law firm is representing the major lobbying arm of the pharmaceutical industry. Supporters of the ballot measure said the move is an “act of desperation” by big Pharma intended to keep the initiative from going before voters this fall.
