CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A group of state lawmakers is asking West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey to hold all funds related to the settlement with McKesson Corporation.
State leaders announced in May the $37 million settlement with McKesson, one of the country’s largest pharmaceutical drug distributors.
Delegates Mark Dean, R-Mingo; Kayla Kessinger, R-Fayette; Chad Lovejoy, D-Cabell; Matthew Rohrbach, R-Cabell; and Andrew Robinson, D-Kanawha, asked Morrisey to hold the monies received; the delegates said the Legislature should appropriate the funds to efforts to combat the state’s drug epidemic.
“Much like we had comprehensive programs and public relations campaigns targeting the prevention of tobacco use, we need to start using more resources to help prevent substance abuse and eliminate the demand of these drugs in the first place,” said Rohrbach, chairman of the Committee on Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse.
According to a statement from the lawmakers, Morrisey’s office will receive around $3.2 million for the first installment of the settlement and approximately $1.5 million annually between 2020 and 2024.
Kessinger and Robinson made a similar request earlier this year.
“Our state has been devastated by millions of pills being delivered directly to our communities, and it is imperative that we use funds paid by these companies to correct the damage they have caused,” Kessinger said Monday.