Following the opioid settlement money in Mississippi

By Gulf States Newsroom staff

Published April 17, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT

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Sticky notes with handwritten comments from people with lived experience of addiction displayed by the Gulf States Newsroom at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi, on Thursday, March 12, 2026.

On this week’s episode, we’ll dig into Mississippi’s decisions on who gets opioid settlement funding — and who doesn’t. The state’s legislature has finally appropriated millions of dollars received as a result of lawsuits with opioid manufacturers, marketers and distributors.

Senior Reporter Drew Hawkins and Community Engagement Producer Nellie Beckett talked to hundreds of Mississippians with lived experience of addiction, asking how they think the money should be spent.

Drew has been following along the entire process — from the advisory council forming, meeting, and making recommendations, to lawmakers appropriating funding and the state’s governor signing the bills.

This episode is hosted by Nellie Beckett, who is also our community engagement producer. The podcast is produced by Matt Bloom, Elise Catrion Gregg, Drew Hawkins, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme.

To get in touch with the team, email connect@gulfstatesnewsroom.org.

And support our local station partners by donating to WWNO, MPB, or WBHM.

A sign reads “Addiction is a Disease” in James Moore’s bike shop in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on January 28, 2026. Moore, whose son died from a fentanyl overdose, was part of the advisory council that made recommendations for spending opioid settlement funding to the state legislature.

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