Burleson County authorizes participation in Kroger opioid settlement

Burleson County Commissioners on Dec. 9 unanimously authorized the county judge or other county officials to execute settlement participation and release forms related to Kroger’s settlement offers in the Texas opioid multidistrict litigation, recorded in the minutes as County of Burleson v. Purdue Pharma, L.P. et al.; cause and MDL reference numbers were included in the court record.

The authorization was moved by Commissioner Vincent Svec and seconded by Commissioner Robert “Bobby” Urbanosky; the minutes state "All voted Aye. None voted No." The motion gave county officials authority to accept and sign the settlement participation and release forms as written in the settlement offer documentation provided to the court.

Why it matters: the motion enables Burleson County to participate in a national litigation settlement process tied to opioid manufacturers and distributors. The county’s decision to authorize execution of settlement documents does not itself describe the settlement amounts or allocation method; the minutes record only the county’s authorization to execute forms and do not include specific dollar figures or distribution details.

What the minutes show: the court record cites the Kroger settlement offers in the broader Texas opioid multidistrict litigation and lists the cause numbers (County of Burleson v. Purdue Pharma, L.P. et al.; No. 2018-77087; MDL PRETRIAL CAUSE NO. 2018-63587 in the 152nd District Court of Harris County, Texas). The minutes do not record a debate over the motion or any dissenting remarks.

Next steps: the authorization allows the county judge or authorized officials to complete settlement paperwork. The minutes do not specify any anticipated dates for receipt of funds, how the county will allocate proceeds, or whether the court will vote on allocation if funds are received.