No Movement on Wisconsin's Opioid Epidemic Settlement Funds

Thursday, September 1st, 2022 -- 10:00 AM

(By Evan Casey, Wisconsin Public Radio) -Wisconsin was awarded nearly $31 million to help address the ongoing opioid epidemic across the state, an epidemic that took the lives of 1,226 Wisconsinites in 2020.

But as of Aug. 30, none of those funds have been distributed because the Wisconsin Joint Committee on Finance rejected a plan for their use. On Aug. 1, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services released an updated proposal for how to use the $31 million received from the settlement of a large, multistate lawsuit against four pharmaceutical companies.

That plan is focused on prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services to reduce drug overdose deaths. But the committee rejected the proposal, meaning the funds are still waiting to be used. Some state health officials and Democratic leaders argue the holdup is costing lives.

"This epidemic is having an impact on Wisconsinites right now, and we need to get these resources to Wisconsinites as soon as possible," Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said during an Aug. 24 press conference.  It's not clear yet when the committee will meet again to discuss the proposal.

On Tuesday, a spokesperson for DHS said it's received no communication from the committee regarding the rejection of the plan. Committee co-chair Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Wisconsin Sen. Howard Marklein, a committee co-chair, said Monday the senator didn’t have a comment on the issue.

Speaking at the press conference, Democratic Wisconsin Sen. Jon Erpenbach, who is also a member of the committee, said he believes politics is part of why the funds have not been approved yet. The committee is controlled by Republicans.

"(Republicans are) doing it because they can. They're doing it because, I believe, it’s political," Sen. Erpenbach said. On Aug. 1, DHS announced it had received $6 million from the settlement, meaning the department can distribute those funds at anytime.

"If nothing else, release the 6 million bucks, so we can get that all over the state," Erpenbach said. Rep. Born appeared on WKOW-TV on Aug. 28. He said he and other members of the committee had concerns about the plans for the funds.

"I have concerns, other members have concerns. That's why we're working through the process," Born said in the interview. "I would say, in this case, a number of people had concerns, and that's why we're working through this diligently, to make sure we have the best plan we can have for the state of Wisconsin."

The holdup comes at a time when overdose deaths are hitting record highs across the state. In 2000, there were 111 overdose deaths. In 2020, that number grew to 1,226, an increase of just over 1,000 percent.

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