Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

7 hours ago

Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Threatens That Effort.

11 hours ago

Ukraine Voices Concern as US Halts Some Missile Shipments

11 hours ago

Poll: Most Americans Say National Divide, Political Violence Threaten Democracy

12 hours ago

Paramount Settles With Trump Over ‘60 Minutes’ Interview for $16 Million

12 hours ago

Republicans Tee up House Vote on Trump Bill, Outcome Uncertain

12 hours ago

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

12 hours ago

Dalai Lama Says He Will Be Reincarnated, Trust Will Identify Successor

12 hours ago
In Opioid Lawsuits, One State Opts to Stay on the Sidelines
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
June 12, 2019

Share

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson has fought prescription opioid abuse through public education campaigns, worked with lawmakers to tighten up prescribing practices and even demanded documents from the maker of OxyContin. He has said the overdose crisis is ravaging families.

“We as a state have been great and our attorney general has been wonderful in recognizing the opioid problem. It’s really baffling to me why we haven’t joined (the lawsuits).” — Nebraska state Sen. Sara Howard
What Peterson has not done is pursued a lawsuit seeking to hold any opioid manufacturer, distributor or pharmaceutical company accountable. That leaves him standing alone among state attorneys general.
Every other state has sued, filed administrative charges or promised to sue the companies blamed for the national crisis, which played a part in the deaths of more than 390,000 Americans from 2000 through 2017. Peterson’s decision to stand on the sidelines, at least so far, has frustrated some who want to ensure that Nebraska is in line to receive its fair share of money under any national settlement.
“We as a state have been great and our attorney general has been wonderful in recognizing the opioid problem,” said state Sen. Sara Howard of Omaha, whose sister died of an overdose in 2009. “It’s really baffling to me why we haven’t joined (the lawsuits).”
Howard sent a letter to Peterson last month urging him to join a group of some 1,500 opioid-related lawsuits from around the country consolidated under a federal judge in Ohio, but said she received no response. She said Nebraska has more work to do and that she would like to see the drug companies pay for treatment and prevention programs.
In a statement, Peterson spokeswoman Suzanne Gage said state lawyers talk regularly with private attorneys and other states that have filed opioid-related lawsuits. Gage would not rule out future legal action, but declined to say why the state has not yet proceeded with a claim of its own.

More Than 2,000 State, Local and Tribal Governments Have Sued

After a flurry of legal filings in recent weeks, 48 states have sued to recover damages they say are caused by the opioid crisis, while Michigan’s attorney general has announced her intention to sue and has solicited bids from outside law firms to handle the case.
Nebraska stands out for another reason. Its opioid-related death rate in 2017 was the lowest of all states, with advocates saying addictions to alcohol and methamphetamine are more pervasive. Even so, tribal and local government officials say opioid abuse has led to a rise in law enforcement and public health costs.
That’s among the reasons that led several of them to file their own lawsuits.
The Ponca Tribe last year sued Purdue Pharma, the Connecticut-based maker of OxyContin, and other pharmaceutical companies. The state’s other three tribes quickly joined.
“We have a responsibility to make sure we’re protecting the health of our citizens and being proactive wherever we can,” said Larry Wright Jr., the Ponca tribe’s chairman.
Five Nebraska counties — three rural and two in the Omaha area — also filed lawsuits, as did South Sioux City. Douglas County, which includes Omaha, claimed in its January lawsuit that the epidemic has saddled officials “with an enormous economic burden” and led to more crime and children in foster care.
Nationally, more than 2,000 state, local and tribal governments have sued Purdue.
Several Nebraska lawyers involved in the local opioid cases said they were surprised the attorney general’s office hasn’t yet filed a lawsuit to help the state recover the costs of health care, law enforcement and social services.

 

‘Workhorse, Not a Show Horse’

“From a lawyer’s standpoint, it seems to me you’d be in a better position if you have a lawsuit on file and are engaged in the litigation process,” said Ed Hotz, one of the attorneys representing Douglas County. “But maybe the attorney general has his reasons. I’m just not sure what they are.”

“We are joining forces to work together in protecting Nebraskans from the harmful impacts of addiction and the ravages it can cause to families and futures. Nebraskans are not immune from this problem. We all need to work together and do something about it.” — Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson
The go-slow approach is in keeping with how Peterson, a Republican, handles his job. Now in his second term, the former assistant attorney general and deputy county counsel has always billed himself as a “workhorse, not a show horse.”
While he has accepted campaign donations from pharmaceutical companies, including industry giants Pfizer and Eli Lilly, state campaign finance records show Peterson has received no money from Purdue Pharma or other major defendants in the opioid lawsuits.
Even without suing, Peterson has taken an active role in trying to address the problems caused by opioid addiction.
Last year, he worked with state lawmakers on new monitoring requirements for prescription drugs and restrictions on how much doctors could prescribe at one time. In 2017, he joined a coalition of 41 attorneys general that issued subpoenas to drugmakers and demanded Purdue to turn over documents. His office helped launch a public awareness campaign that included television and internet ads.
“We are joining forces to work together in protecting Nebraskans from the harmful impacts of addiction and the ravages it can cause to families and futures,” Peterson said at the time. “Nebraskans are not immune from this problem. We all need to work together and do something about it.”

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

DON'T MISS

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

DON'T MISS

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

DON'T MISS

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

DON'T MISS

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

DON'T MISS

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

DON'T MISS

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

UP NEXT

Poll: Most Americans Say National Divide, Political Violence Threaten Democracy

UP NEXT

Trump Pulls Back 150 Guard Troops From Federal Duties in California

UP NEXT

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

UP NEXT

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

UP NEXT

US Supreme Court Lets Parents Take Kids Out of Classes With LGBT Storybooks

UP NEXT

Bill Moyers, Broadcaster and LBJ’s White House Press Secretary, Dies at 91

UP NEXT

Tesla Executive, Elon Musk Confidant Leaves EV Maker, Bloomberg News Reports

UP NEXT

How a Birthday Boat Ride on Lake Tahoe Turned Tragic

UP NEXT

Cuomo Concedes to Mamdani in New York City Democratic Mayoral Contest

UP NEXT

Mamdani Holds Lead Over Cuomo in Democratic Primary for NYC Mayor

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

5 hours ago

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

5 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

6 hours ago

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

6 hours ago

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

6 hours ago

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

7 hours ago

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

7 hours ago

CIA Review Finds Flaws but Does Not Dispute Finding Putin Sought to Sway 2016 Vote to Trump

7 hours ago

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

7 hours ago

Check Out Newest Downtown Mural. It’s a Spectacular Tribute to Fresno Artisans

8 hours ago

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

WASHINGTON – Republicans in the House of Representatives on Wednesday struggled to pass President Donald Trump’s massive tax-cut...

4 hours ago

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks to the press, as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 2, 2025. (Reuters/Annabelle Gordon)
4 hours ago

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

The Madre Fire in San Luis Obispo County has rapidly expanded to 8,396 acres with no containment, prompting evacuation orders and warnings near New Cuyama. (CalFire)
5 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

Andrew Biscay, 40, was arrested Friday, June 20, 2025, after deputies found him with a fake U.S. Marshal’s badge, homemade firearm, and law enforcement-style gear during a warrant arrest. (Madera County SO)
5 hours ago

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, a Madera County sheriff’s deputy was injured while trying to arrest a wanted felon, Felix Adrian Nucamendi Carrasco, 40, who later fled and was captured near Raymond Road. (Madera County SO)
5 hours ago

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

A wildfire dubbed the Madre Fire has burned over 3,300 acres near New Cuyama with 0% containment, officials said Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (CalFire)
5 hours ago

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

6 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

Jose Luna (left), 33, and Ralph Grajeda, 45, both of Visalia, have been sentenced for their roles in the 2020 shotgun killing of Robert Soto at a local motel. (Tulare County DA)
6 hours ago

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

A U.S. Justice Department logo or seal showing Justice Department headquarters, known as "Main Justice," is seen behind the podium in the Department's headquarters briefing room before a news conference with the Attorney General in Washington, January 24, 2023. (Reuters File)
6 hours ago

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend