$13M already spent on drug ballot issue

More than $13 million already has been spent by supporters and opponents of State Issue 2, a prescriptiondrug price proposal that is still more than three months away from a statewide vote.

Opponents contributed $15.8 million and spent $9.7 million, according to

a campaign finance report filed Monday required to cover outlays through June 30. The opposition coalition is called Ohioans Against the Deceptive Rx Ballot Issue, but the group is itself not being transparent because it is not disclosing individual donors.

The report lists contributions of $5.6 million, $4.6 million and $5.5 million, but all were from Ohioans Against the Deceptive Rx Ballot Issue, a “wholly owned subsidiary of PHRMA.” The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America is a trade association funded by drug manufacturers. However, no individual pharmaceutical company contributors were listed.

The pharmaceutical association kicked in another $429,000 of in-kind contributions, including staff time

and consulting services.

Spokesman Dale Butland said the group is following Ohio law, which allows the filing method. “The campaign is not trying to hide anything. It’s not like nobody knows who PHRMA members are.”

Most of the $9.7 million spent so far was for television advertising and public relations consulting.

Meanwhile, backers of the ballot issue spent $3.6 million, their campaign finance report shows. Nearly all of the money for the Ohio Drug Price Relief Act came from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation of Los Angeles, the prime backer of State Issue 2, as it will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Dennis Williard, spokesman for the ballot campaign, said that not disclosing the identity of drug company donors is “part of a foundation of lies and half-truths” Issue 2 opponents are telling voters.

If approved, the measure

would require the state and other entities to pay no more for prescription drugs than does the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a discount already afforded some Ohioans outside the VA system.

Proponents project a savings of 20 percent to 40 percent annually and say it could help 4 million Ohioans. Opponents say the state already negotiates discounts for Medicaid recipients and others, the promise of savings is slim, and the initiative actually could result in higher drug costs for virtually all Ohioans.

Of $3.675 million contributed so far by the AIDS foundation, the campaign has spent all but $47,000, largely on television advertising and media firms.

The drug campaign previously spent about $1.2 million, nearly all of it related to gathering signatures of registered voters and related expenses to get the issue on the ballot.

The Pharmaceutical

Research and Manufacturers of America provided more than $110 million opposing a similar proposal in California that was defeated 53 percent to 47 percent last year.

On State Issue 1, otherwise known as Marsy’s Law, a campaign finance report showed a single contributor: Dr. Henry Nicholas, who gave more than $3 million. That included about $2.9 million in cash and more than $100,000 of in-kind contributions.

Nicholas is the brother of Marsy Nicholas, who was stalked and killed by her boyfriend in California in 1983. Marsy’s Law would expand crime-victim rights in Ohio.

There is no known opposition to the proposal.

Unlike races for political office, Ohio does not have campaign contribution limits for issues campaigns.