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Baker says he discussed opioid crisis with Ivanka Trump

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker says he discussed America’s opioid crisis with Ivanka Trump during a National Governors Association dinner in Washington.

Baker and his wife, Lauren, were seated next to President Donald Trump’s daughter during the White House dinner on Sunday.

“We spent most of the time, actually, talking about opioids and the opioid epidemic which is not just an issue in Massachusetts but an issue around the country,” Baker said on the “CBS This Morning” show.

Nearly 2,000 people are believed to have died from opioid overdoses last year in Massachusetts, according to a recent report from the state Department of Public Health.

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Baker touted a bipartisan opioid abuse bill that he signed last year. He said many governors at the meeting expressed interest in emulating portions of the Massachusetts law.

“We spent a lot of time working on this on a bipartisan basis and the plan that we actually developed and worked through our Legislature — the National Governors Association recommended to the other governors. And 46 of them basically signed on to it and said this would be a good way for us to approach the problems in our states,” he said.

He said the plan included prevention and better training for prescribers.

The Republican also said he and other governors talked with Trump administration officials about prospective changes in the federal health care law.

Baker made his comments during an appearance with an editor of U.S. News & World Report, which ranked Massachusetts as the best US state based on factors including education, health care and the economy.