County asked to support opioid lawsuit

COUNTY – Shelby County has been asked to consider support of a federal lawsuit against manufacturers of pharmaceutical opioid drugs, and if it does, would join more than 100 counties in eight states that are doing so, including most recently two in Iowa.
    Shelby County Board of Supervisors Chairman Steve Kenkel said this week that the county has received correspondence from the Iowa Association of Counties (ISAC) asking it consider signing on to present a united front at the federal level.  ISAC recently passed a resolution encouraging member counties to support the litigation.
    In the past couple of weeks, Monroe County in southeast Iowa and Sioux County in northwest Iowa have signed on to the lawsuit, being presented by Crueger-Dickinson Law, a Wisconsin-based firm.
    After discussion last Tuesday, Shelby County tabled any action pending further investigation.