State attorney general candidate DePasquale talks opioids, environment
Feb. 7—Pennsylvania attorney general candidate Eugene DePasquale was on the campaign trail in Meadville late Monday afternoon.
DePasquale is one of five candidates vying for the Democratic Party's nomination for state AG in the April 23 primary. He's currently an adjunct law professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
DePasquale is no stranger to state politics, having served two terms as Pennsylvania's auditor general. He was elected in 2012 and 2016 before being term-limited for the post. He previously served three terms in the state House, getting elected in 2006, 2008 and 2010.
"It's obviously petition season, this is about my fourth visit to Crawford County since my campaign began, said DePasquale, who announced his candidacy back in June.
Monday's visit to Crawford County Democratic Committee headquarters in Meadville was his third swing into northwestern Pennsylvania over three days. He was in the Erie and Sharon areas on Saturday and on Sunday made campaign stops in Venango, Clarion and Jefferson counties.
"This is an important part of the state," he said. "To me, it's about going everywhere and competing for every vote. And making sure everyone knows I care about every single part of this state."
Two concerns that DePasquale said he's hearing from voters are addressing the opioid epidemic crisis and protecting the environment.
"I want to make sure it's going into the rehabilitation programs that we know work," DePasquale said of Pennsylvania's share of the settlement of national opioid litigation in 2021.
Pennsylvania expects to receive up to $1.07 billion over 18 years from a national deal with Johnson & Johnson and three major drug distributors — Cardinal Health, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen.
Crawford County is estimated to receive $4.6 million over 18 years as its share of the state's settlement. In 2022, county commissioners set up a committee to oversee use of the county's funds which already is more than $475,000.
Under the settlement guidelines, the county may use its funds for a variety of specific opioid programs such as treatment, recovery and prevention.
The money may be used for Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs to reverse opioid overdoses; opioid treatment, misuse prevention and recovery programs including jail inmates; training for health care providers on responsible opioid prescribing; training for first responders on dealing with fentanyl and other drugs; and various public education programs.
As attorney general, DePasquale said he would take an active role in environmental protection across Pennsylvania.
"There's just a lot of concern among voters about the environment," the candidate said.
In addition to DePasquale, the others seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for AG in the April 23 primary are: Keir Bradford-Grey, former chief public defender for Philadelphia; Jack Stollsteimer, Delaware County's district attorney; Jared Solomon, a member of the state House from Philadelphia; and Joe Khan, a former Bucks County solicitor and federal prosecutor.
Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.
