ST. PAUL, Minn, - State Rep. Liz Olson (DFL – Duluth) today announced plans to introduce a bill addressing Minnesota’s ongoing opioid crisis, which has resulted in tragic losses for families across the state. The legislation will establish an Opioid Stewardship Advisory Council to deliver grants focusing on education, intervention, treatment, training, and prevention strategies.
“Minnesotans are pleading with us to take action to protect people, and to do this we need a truly comprehensive strategy to save lives,” Rep. Olson said. “As families continue to experience unthinkable tragedies, Minnesotans can’t wait any longer for comprehensive strategies to end this crisis. I’m confident that we can work together in a bipartisan fashion to take action.”
Funding will for the advisory council’s grants will come from registration fees. In addition to the grants, the legislation expands coverage of pain management services and requires that companies perform comprehensive assessments of clients to better determine treatment options.
The bill will officially be introduced Monday, Jan. 28 with a public hearing scheduled in the Health and Human Services Policy Committee Wednesday, Jan. 30, which is also Opioid Awareness Day on the Hill.
In 2017, there were more than 2,000 visits to Minnesota emergency rooms for opioid-involved overdoses. In 2016, 395 Minnesotans lost their lives due to overdoses. Since 2010, the rate of opioid-related overdose deaths has steadily increased each year.
Rep. Olson, who serves as House Majority Whip, was a leader on this issue last session in the House, pushing for a “penny a pill” fee on opioid painkillers. However, pharmaceutical lobbyists worked behind the scenes however to stop progress on the initiative.
“While families, communities, and the state as a whole have paid significant prices during the opioid crisis – both in dollars and in the tragic loss of life – one group has yet to pay any price: Big Pharma,” Rep. Olson said. “While they continue to profit, we continue to remain behind the curve in addressing the problem, and Minnesotans are demanding action.”
Native Americans have experienced the brunt of the opioid crisis worse than any other group in Minnesota. Tomorrow, the House Health and Human Services Policy Committee will hold a hearing at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs Convention Center at 1:00 p.m. to learn from tribal representatives about the impact of the crisis and to discuss ways to collaboratively address it.