Sponsor proposes barring state purchases of opioid antidotes from companies tied to opioid settlements

Sen. Mike Yakawich opened a committee hearing on Senate Bill 112, a measure that would limit state procurement of opioid antagonists (commonly called naloxone or Narcan) from manufacturers that were defendants in major opioid litigation and settlements.

Proponents, including tribal advocates and the Montana Medical Association, framed the bill as both a public‑health and moral response to pharmaceutical companies that played a role in the opioid crisis. "We must recognize the harm that these companies have done in communities across the state," a tribal representative told the committee, citing higher overdose death rates among American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

The Department of Justice provided…