(The Center Square) — Two Lafayette legislators are seeking a statewide audit of how Louisiana is using its share of opioid settlement money, saying that nearly a year after a legislative audit flagged major gaps in oversight, lawmakers still do not have a clear picture of where the money is going or what it is accomplishing.
The resolution, authored by Rep. Annie Spell and Sen. Brach Myers, would require a report detailing how much opioid settlement funding Louisiana has received, how much has been distributed to each parish and sheriff’s office, and exactly how the money has been spent.
The proposed audit would give lawmakers a broader statewide accounting of whether that money is being spent promptly, legally and effectively – and whether Louisiana’s current oversight structure is strong enough to ensure settlement dollars are actually reducing addiction, overdoses and the long tail of costs the opioid crisis has imposed on local communities…