PHOENIX – Attorney General Kris Mayes released the following statement in response to the passage of the state budget:
I am extremely disappointed our Democratic Governor, along with GOP leadership at our State Legislature, would put our $1.14 billion, 18-year opioid One Arizona Agreement at risk by attempting to sweep opioid funds to backfill budget deficits caused by GOP policies. Though I repeatedly warned them this is an unlawful use of these funds, they proceeded with moving forward anyway. I am beyond thankful to the legislators who spoke up on this issue and who understand the dire need to use these funds in the manner and intent they are meant to be used for. I have stated publicly and very clearly that I refuse to release these funds in this way as it would violate the agreement, and I stand by those words today. This is an egregious grab. I will do everything in my power to protect these opioid settlement funds for all Arizonans.
Let’s start off by remembering how we got here. A number of pharmaceutical companies grossly misrepresented the dangers and addictiveness of their drugs – opioids – to blatantly enrich themselves. They created marketing ploys, pushed prescriptions and caused death and chaos. This terrible scandal has killed more than a million Americans since the epidemic started. Mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, colleagues and friends. Communities and families ripped apart, hearts crushed, a public health crisis that has wreaked havoc in every corner of every state across our country – including Arizona, which is now in the bullseye of our fentanyl crisis.
Nearly all of us know someone who has died, someone who has become addicted, someone who has had an overdose from these lethal drugs over the course of this many-year public health crisis. Arizona has seen more than 11,500 opioid overdose deaths since 2017, more than 26,000 non-fatal opioid overdose events since 2017 and more than 98,000 emergency room visits for suspected drug overdose since 2020.
The One Arizona Agreement was created to effectively distribute $1.14 billion in opioid settlement funds over 18 years. The state, counties, cities and towns reached this agreement to disburse funds based on population and severity of harm, with the State receiving 44% of the total – $502 million, and the counties set to receive 56%, or $639 million, to distribute to cities and towns within the region. As the legal and fiduciary steward responsible for these funds, it is my duty to ensure they are legally spent, that the process is transparent and that these funds are spent according to the agreement – focusing on prevention, education and treatment within our communities.
There has been national scrutiny and attention on how these monies are being spent, with many comparisons being drawn to big tobacco settlements of our past. If there is one thing I can applaud my predecessor on, it is the fact that our opioid settlement agreements were crafted thoughtfully to include clear guidelines for disbursement and transparency. Having traveled across our state holding listening sessions on our fentanyl crisis, I know there is a dire need for resources in every community, with different needs across these communities.
I look forward to the day when we can put politics and power plays aside to better protect public health, get these funds out into the communities who so desperately need them and save Arizona lives. Until then, I will continue to do what I was elected to do – be the lawyer for the people of our great state and protect these opioid settlement funds that too many people lost their lives for.