July 2025 Opioid Task Force Co-Chair Message: The High Cost of Low Taxes

Message from the

Opioid Task Force Co-Chairs

July 30, 2025

Offering hope and help to those impacted by opioid misuse in Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.

The High Costs of Low Taxes

Good morning ~

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law PL 119-21 , also known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."

In short, this piece of legislation makes permanent the individual tax cuts that President Trump signed into law in 2017, along with scores of other tax policy changes. Wealthier Americans tend to benefit more from these changes than low- to moderate-income households in the United States, according to multiple analyses. (Sources: Congressional Budget Office and KFF.)

It also reduces federal spending across a broad swath of federal agencies, including a $911 billion reduction in Medicaid funding, over ten years.

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, approximately 10.3 million Americans would lose their Medicaid healthcare coverage. This is especially worrisome as Medicaid is the largest payer of mental health and addiction treatment and recovery services in the nation.

As shown in the chart above, we've made significant progress in reducing fatal overdoses from 2023 to 2024. A comprehensive approach has contributed to this progress, including widespread access to life-saving naloxone, increased availability of medications for opioid and substance use disorders, and expanded post-opioid overdose follow-up and outreach services, among others.

We want to build on these current initiatives to reduce opioid related deaths further. Medicaid-funded programs are a crucial tool in that effort. To help us better understand how people impacted by addiction or mental health challenges will be affected by this reduction in Medicaid funding, the Opioid Task Force plans to conduct an impact survey in the early fall.

We look forward to sharing what we learn with you, which will help us in our continued quest to save and change lives.

Sincerely,

Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan

Sheriff Lori M. Streeter

Co-chairs, Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region

Upcoming OTF Committee/Workgroup

Meetings or Trainings

Virtual: Harm Reduction Workgroup

August 6, 2025

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Zoom details here.

Virtual: Emergency Services for Unhoused Individuals Task Force

August 11, 2025

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Zoom details here.

Hybrid: Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking Workgroup

August 11, 2025

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Franklin County Reentry Center

106 Main Street, Greenfield

Zoom details here.

Virtual: CAM Workgroup

August 12, 2025

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Zoom details here.

Virtual: Building a Resilient Community Workgroup

August 20, 2025

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Zoom details here.

Virtual: Overdose Prevention & Narcan Training

August 21, 2025

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Zoom details here.

Virtual: Emergency Services for Unhoused Individuals Task Force

September 8, 2025

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Zoom details here.

Hybrid: Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking Workgroup

September 8, 2025

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Franklin County Reentry Center

106 Main Street, Greenfield

Zoom details here.

Virtual: Education & Prevention Committee

September 9, 2025

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Zoom details here.

Virtual: Harm Reduction Workgroup

September 10, 2025 (Note date change due to Labor Day holiday)

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Zoom details here.

Virtual: Joint Treatment & Recovery and Healthcare Solutions Committee

September 12, 2025

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Zoom details here.

Virtual: Overdose Prevention & Narcan Training

September 18, 2025

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Zoom details here.

Hybrid: Public Safety & Justice Committee

October 6, 2025

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Franklin County Reentry Center

106 Main Street, Greenfield

Zoom details here.

Virtual: Methadone Workgroup

October 9, 2025

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Zoom details here.

Virtual: Overdose Prevention & Narcan Training

October 16, 2025

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Zoom details here.

In Person: Harm Reduction Summit

October 24, 2025,

9:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Greenfield Community College Dining Commons

One College Drive, Greenfield

Consult our website or Facebook Page for updates. Please email us with any questions.

Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region www.opioidtaskforce.org