Mike Hunter

Partisan Divide Grows Over Opioid Settlement Plan

By editor • Oct 20, 2019

The nation's response to the deadly opioid epidemic has been broadly bipartisan, but deep divides have emerged over a settlement plan offered last month by Purdue Pharma, the maker of Oxycontin.

Democratic state attorneys general have generally panned the deal, which would force Purdue's owners, member of the Sackler family, to give up control of their company while paying roughly $3 billion in cash from their personal fortunes.

No Topless in Oklahoma, At-Home Rape Kits, Athletic Endorsements & More

By , & • Oct 4, 2019

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the Attorney General's announcement saying despite a Tenth Cicuit ruling, women in Oklahoma don't have the right to go topless, also the AG's cease and desist order against at-home rape kit companies he says aren't admissable in courts and a bipartisan group of lawmakers come out in support of a California law allowing college athletes to get endorsements like the pros.

Glen Johnson Retires, AG Hires Michigan Law Firm, DOC Locks Down Prisons & More

By , & • Sep 20, 2019

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about the announcement by Higher Education Chancellor Glen Johnson to retire from the position effective at the end of next year, AG Mike Hunter announces the state is hiring a Michigan law firm for $250,000 to deal with tribal gaming compacts and the Department of Corrections locks down state prisons after gang-related violence kills one inmate and injures dozens of others.

Oklahoma Wins $572 Million From Opioid Manufacturer Johnson & Johnson

By • Aug 29, 2019
Chris Landsberger / Pool

An Oklahoma judge has ruled that drugmaker Johnson & Johnson helped ignite the state’s opioid crisis by deceptively marketing painkillers, and must pay $572 million to the state.

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter Discusses The Johnson & Johnson Lawsuit Ruling

By editor • Aug 27, 2019

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What Comes Next After Opioid Ruling?

By & Trevor Brown • Aug 27, 2019
Whitney Bryen / Oklahoma Watch

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said there is no question Monday was a “day of reckoning” for pharmaceutical companies that helped accelerate the spread of dangerous opioids across the country.

Minutes after Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman announced his order for Johnson & Johnson to pay $572 million for its role starting and exacerbating Oklahoma’s ongoing opioid epidemic, Hunter triumphantly declared that the pharmaceutical company will “finally be held accountable” for the thousands of deaths and addictions its products caused in Oklahoma.

Johnson & Johnson Ordered To Pay Oklahoma $572 Million In Opioid Trial

By editor • Aug 26, 2019

Updated at 7:04 p.m. ET

An Oklahoma judge has ruled that drugmaker Johnson & Johnson helped ignite the state's opioid crisis by deceptively marketing painkillers, and must pay $572 million to the state.

Oklahoma sought $17.5 billion, blaming Johnson & Johnson for fueling the crisis that has claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people in the state.

Oklahoma Judge To Rule In Landmark Opioid Case

By • Aug 26, 2019

An Oklahoma judge will announce a ruling Monday in the state's multibillion-dollar case against drugmaker Johnson & Johnson. The case is being closely watched to see if a court is prepared to hold a pharmaceutical company responsible for contributing to the opioid crisis that took more than 47,000 American lives in 2017 alone.

Political Donations Around Legislative Session Leave Lawmakers' Campaigns $1.3 Million Wealthier

By & Clifton Adcock • Aug 9, 2019
Illustration by Dylan Goforth

Oklahoma state elected officials received nearly $2 million in campaign donations in the weeks leading up to, during and after this year’s legislative session, with two-thirds of those donations going to lawmakers, according to the most recent data from the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.

Opioid Case Against Johnson & Johnson Is In The Hands Of Oklahoma Judge

By • Jul 16, 2019
Chris Landsberger / The Oklahoman

After a seven-week trial, a judge in Oklahoma is now considering whether Johnson & Johnson should be held responsible for the state's opioid epidemic.

The lawsuit, which is the first of its kind to play out in court, alleges Johnson & Johnson helped ignite the opioid crisis with aggressive marketing, leading to thousands of overdose deaths. The state is asking for more than $17 billion.

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