Idaho to receive maximum opioid settlement funds

BOISE — The first opioid settlement funds could arrive in Idaho next month.

Gov. Brad Little and Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced last August their intention to have Idaho join nationwide opioid settlements with Johnson & Johnson and three major opioid distributors.

Idaho’s maximum settlement allotment is $119 million. In order to receive that amount on the fastest timeline, Idaho needed to obtain releases from certain school, hospital and fire districts across the state.

Wasden said the state received the final release this week.

As a result, the first settlement payments could arrive in Idaho in April.

Special districts that participated in the settlements include Kootenai Health, Kootenai County Fire & Rescue and Northern Lakes Fire Protection.