Journalnow.com - Winston-Salem Journal

The bill endorsed by [Clinton], sponsored by Sens. Tom Harkin, D- Iowa, John Chafee, R-R.I., and Bob Graham, D-Fla., instead would set an $8 billion limit on what tobacco companies could be forced to pay plaintiffs in any year. That way, the sponsors say, individuals with limited money could share costs in class-action lawsuits.

[John McCain]'s bill is modeled after the $368.5 billion settlement reached in June between state attorneys general and the tobacco industry that would settle 40 state lawsuits and shield companies from future court action brought by large classes of plaintiffs.

[Tom Bliley], who issued subpoenas for 39,000 documents Feb. 19 and set a deadline for receiving them at noon yesterday, said he will not take further action until a Minnesota court official decides whether the papers should be made public. Bliley said that the ruling "should come down within days."