Drazan: Kotek settlement opens floodgates of Covid lawsuits

KOTEK’S UNPRECEDENTED SETTLEMENT OPENS FLOODGATES FOR COVID LAWSUITS
By Christine Drazan for Governor,

Canby, Ore. – Oregon Governor Tina Kotek announced an unprecedented $49 million settlement to the 2022 class actions in Maney v. State of Oregon. This settlement contributes to a growing liability crisis that threatens the solvency of the state’s self-insurance fund. Senator Christine Drazan (R-Canby), candidate for governor, released the following statement in response to the announcement:

“Oregonians can’t afford Governor Tina Kotek’s unprecedented COVID cash settlement that puts criminals ahead of victims and leaves taxpayers on the hook for a bad deal.

“Governor Kotek isn’t fighting for us, she is working against us. She is choosing to pay adults in custody who were serving criminal sentences instead of holding the line and defending Oregon taxpayers in court from a weak lawsuit.

“This shortsighted, overly generous settlement exposes the state to more lawsuits and taxpayer-funded payouts that threaten the solvency of our state’s insurance fund and resources that should be used for public safety, our classrooms and services for Oregon’s most vulnerable.

“COVID affected every single Oregonian. Our children were shut out of schools, businesses were forced to close and families suffered with many losing their loved ones. Oregonians deserve a governor who fights for taxpayers, protects the state’s financial future and defends the public interest.”

While some states settled COVID prison lawsuits, those settlements generally involved policy changes and releases rather than large-scale monetary payouts to adults in custody.

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