AUGUSTA (AP) – Maine is getting its $20 million share of Philip Morris USA tobacco settlement money, which came into question as a result of a court case in Illinois, Attorney General G. Steven Rowe said.

At stake for Maine was about half of Philip Morris’s $40 million payment to Maine as part of a 1998 tobacco settlement.

Rowe said Monday he received assurances that the company was going to make its payment on schedule Tuesday.

An Illinois court cleared the way for payments to the states by reducing the amount Philip Morris was required to pay to appeal a record $10.1 billion verdict in a class-action lawsuit.

The nation’s largest tobacco company was ordered to put $6 billion – half of the original amount sought – into an escrow account to partially cover a judgment in the lawsuit. Before Monday’s ruling by the Illinois judge, Philip Morris’s ability to make $2.6 billion in payments to 46 states was in question.

“We are pleased that the vital health and human services needs that are supported by the Fund For a Healthy Maine can continue as planned,” Rowe said.

AP-ES-04-15-03 1432EDT

Copy the Story Link