Should Hochul declare an opioid State of Emergency? And CDPAP pressure builds

Plus: Hakeem Jeffries sounds off on Trump bringing a 9/11 conspiracy theorist to New York City.

Good afternoon — it’s Friday and Uncle Sam Day.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

TODAY’S CAPCON:

• A state board tasked with dividing up dollars from opioid legal settlements is considering asking Hochul for a State of Emergency.

• With just a few weeks until a crucial deadline for the CDPAP program, Hochul is facing pressure.

• Campaign Corner: Jeffries responds to Trump bringing a 9/11 conspiracy theorist to New York City on 9/11; Jessica Ramos’ run for mayor.

• From the Notebook: mask ban ads, civil legal services, demographic requests

🍂 Tonight’s Weather: Albany: Mostly clear, low 60s. New York City: Mostly clear, mid-60s. (National Weather Service)

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💊 Opioid board considers asking Hochul for State of Emergency

🗣️ A board that’s tasked with deciding where settlement funds from opioid lawsuits will flow could vote to pressure the governor.

The number of drug overdose deaths in New York hit a peak last May but has since begun to fall.

That’s good news, but here’s the catch: the 3,013 drug overdose deaths reported here in April is still about double what it was a decade ago.

New York has sought to combat the crisis by investing deeper in community-based addiction intervention resources and emergency supplies, like the opioid overdose reversal drug Naloxone.

There are also the hundreds of millions of dollars New York has received, and continues to receive, from legal settlements with opioid manufacturers, distributors and others.

• Those companies and individuals were accused of downplaying the addictive nature of opioids to sell more and earn a larger profit.

It’s the job of the state’s Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board to decide where that money flows but members had another task on their mind during a meeting of the panel Friday.

I wrote last month in the Times Union about how one member had suggested the board formally call on Gov. Kathy HOCHUL to declare a State of Emergency over the opioid crisis.

• A declared emergency from the governor would allow her administration to suspend laws, order new actions and divert more funding.

The board’s members talked more about that at this month’s meeting and the split between members was really interesting to watch.