METROPOLIS – State Representative Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) announced this week that he’s been appointed to serve on the Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board. The advisory board was created by an Executive Order regarding the administration of settlement proceeds received from Illinois’ opioid litigation and creating the Illinois opioid remediation advisory board and the Office of Opioid Settlement Administration.
“The opioid epidemic has had severe negative impacts on the communities, neighborhoods, families, and residents of Illinois in every community,” Windhorst said. “Now that settlements have been reached with major opioid distributors and manufacturers, it is up to the State of Illinois to properly and fairly distribute funds to communities that are due these funds.”
According to Executive Order 2022-19 the Opioid Remediation Advisory Board will seek to ensure an equitable allocation of resources to all parts of the State, including, but not limited to, taking into consideration population as well as other factors relevant to opioid abatement, including rates of Opioid Use Disorder, Overdose Deaths, and amounts of opioids shipped into each region as measured in Morphine Milligram Equivalents and shall advise the Committee regarding the highest and best use of the Fund monies to prevent opioid dependency and promote recovery. For this purpose, the Office shall engage technical service providers to engage individuals with lived expertise, subject-matter experts, and other interested parties to develop a comprehensive plan, for consideration, to address opioid abatement.