HELENA, Mont. — A recent settlement reached between the state of Montana and tobacco companies will help ensure the commitments made by the companies that date back to a 1998 nationwide master settlement agreement that resolved multiple state lawsuits, according to the state's attorney general.
Montana's Attorney General Tim Fox announced a multiyear legal battle between the state and some of the major tobacco manufacturers has been resolved by a new settlement that confirms the state will be paid funds that were previously withheld.
“Any businesses operating in Montana must be held accountable for wrongdoing,” Fox said in a statement. “This settlement ensures that tobacco companies live up to the deal they agreed to two decades ago and pay in full the funds owed to the state. This is an historic agreement for the state of Montana, and I’m proud of my team for making this happen.”
According to the Attorney General's Office, the settlement also confirms the state's right to its full payment for the 2004 calendar year which is more than $27 million. The remaining annual payments which are owed to the state will be from $2 million to $5 million a year, Fox's office said.