As an opioids scourge devastates tribes in Washington, lawmakers advance a bill to provide relief

SEATTLE (AP) — A bill that would bring millions of dollars to tribes in Washington state to address the opioid crisis received unanimous support in the House on Friday, opening the door for state funding to address a scourge that some say is claiming a generation.

“This bill invests in Indian country. It invests in the Native Americans of Washington state. It invests in the preservation of generations of Native Americans whose land we stand on today,” Democratic Rep. Debra Lekanoff, who is Tlingit and Aleut, said during the vote.

The proposed measure is expected to provide nearly $8 million each year for the 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington, funds drawn in part from a roughly half-billion-dollar settlement between the state and major opioid distributors.

The approach comes as Native Americans and Alaska Natives in Washington die of opioid overdoses at five times the state average, according to 2021-2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data that includes provisional numbers. The rate in Washington is one of the highest in the U.S. and more than three times the rate nationwide — but many of the Indigenous nations in the state lack the funding or medical resources to fully address it.

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