Mississippi Sets Settlement Deadline

Mississippi’s attorney general has set today as the deadline for the tobacco industry to reach a settlement of the state’s Medicaid lawsuit against cigarette makers or go to trial. A spokesman for Mississippi Atty. Gen. Michael Moore said that if a settlement is not reached by noon PDT today , the state will proceed with the first of its Medicaid cases July 9 in Pascagoula, Miss. Moore plans to hold a news conference in Jackson, Miss., shortly after the deadline to announce whether a settlement has been reached. If the Mississippi trial proceeds, the verdict could signal the outcome of some of the lawsuits pending in 39 other states. It could also have a political impact on the broader $368.5-billion settlement proposed by the industry and top state legal officials June 20. Although Moore had hoped to reach a quick settlement with the industry, negotiations have been continuing since last week. There was no immediate response from tobacco companies.