Minnesota moved another step closer this week to unlocking roughly $300 million from a settlement with Johnson & Johnson and the three major U.S. drug distributors in connection to the nation’s opioid painkiller addiction crisis.
Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Monday, Dec. 6, that the state had reached an agreement with Minnesota counties and cities on how to distribute the state's share of a pending $26 billion national settlement agreement. The state and local governments had to reach an agreement by Jan. 2, 2022, in order to maximize the amount they receive from the national settlement.
Municipal governments will receive 75% of the settlement funds while the state will receive 25% to help pay for opioid addiction treatment and prevention. The most recent estimate from Ellison's office projects Minnesota state and local governments will receive $296 million over the next 18 years.
