U.S. SUPREME COURT NEITHER ACCEPTS NOR REJECTS RX CASE

October 9, 2001

OCTOBER 9, 2001

CONTACT: Andrew Hagler Or John Brautigam, Assistant Attorneys General
207-626-8800

The United States Supreme Court today put off a decision on whether or not to hear the case involving the Maine Rx Program. Instead, the Court invited the Solicitor General of the United States to weigh in on the deliberations on behalf of the federal government.

Attorney General Rowe said, "While we had hoped that the legal barriers to implementing the program would be lifted today, we respect the Court's careful deliberation."

Assistant Attorney General Andrew Hagler, who is the State's counsel of record in the case, said, "The Court has simply turned to the Solicitor General and asked, 'What do you think?' It bodes neither well nor ill for our side. Now we wait and see."