Major appointments have been made for the advisory board tasked with overseeing the spending of more than $300 million in funds from major settlements related to rampant opioid addictions and deaths.
The Mississippi Opioid Settlement Advisory Council was established by the state legislature this year via Senate Bill 2767. The council, with 15 voting members and 22 advisory members, will serve to recommend to state lawmakers how to allocate $315 million from a $370 million settlement with pharmaceutical companies accused of enabling opioid addiction in the state.
Around $259 million of the funding is to go to curb opioid addiction and overdoses statewide, while the remaining $56 million can be spent at the discretion of the legislature. According to Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, the entirety of the funding will be utilized to support prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction efforts in Mississippi.
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As part of the new law, Hosemann and his cross-chamber counterpart, Republican House Speaker Jason White, have made appointments to the council. Hosemann announced Mark Stovall and Andy Taggart as his two voting-member appointees, with Sens. Nicole Boyd, R-Oxford, and Angela Turner Ford, D-West Point, as his two advisory appointees.
Taggart, a longtime Mississippi attorney, former chief of staff to former Gov. Kirk Fordice, and former attorney general candidate, has been a vocal advocate for addressing drug abuse and expanding access to prevention and recovery resources after losing his son to a substance-related suicide.
Stovall, CEO of Ocean’s Healthcare, has extensive experience in addiction and behavioral health services and has led multiple treatment and crisis intervention programs across the state. He also directed the Mississippi School for Addiction Professionals. A person in long-term recovery himself, he has dedicated his career to expanding access to effective, compassionate care for individuals and families facing substance use challenges.
“These appointments bring professional expertise and deep personal commitment to combating the opioid crisis that has devastated too many Mississippians,” Hosemann said. “Their guidance will help ensure the Mississippi legislature uses these funds wisely to save lives, support families, and prevent future opioid misuse.”
White’s advisory appointees are Reps. Clay Deweese, R-Oxford, and Sam Creekmore, R-New Albany. The speaker tabbed James Moore and Gerry Taylor as his voting members on the council.
Moore is a Pine Belt father who lost his son to a heroin overdose in 2015. Since his son’s passing, Moore has embarked on multiple campaigns to tackle addiction and has been recognized for his advocacy. Taylor is the Attala County chancery clerk.
Gov. Tate Reeves has yet to announce his appointments to the council. Other lawmakers and prominent public figures have made their appointments. Thursday is the deadline for appointments to be made. Council members appointed by Reeves, Hosemann, and White’s terms will end on Dec. 31, 2027, while other appointees will serve three-year stints.
