Sen. David Nelson

Behavioral health issues impact our communities at all levels: schools, hospitals, courts, jails, and more. This is why the Idaho Behavioral Health Council — which features members from each branch of government, including the two of us — was created. So, we can ensure individuals living with mental illness and/or addiction receive the services they need when they need them.

In the past year, we’ve been developing a strategic plan for Idaho, by working collaboratively with local governments, medical providers, community partners, and consumers of behavioral health services and their families. We took a systematic look at the entire system to decrease agency silos, reduce barriers to recovery and treatment, and identify what Idaho is missing.

This summer, we presented the first draft of the plan to Gov. Brad Little, legislative leadership, and the Idaho Supreme Court. It covers state actions through 2024, and includes a set of 34 recommendations — nine of which were identified as key priorities for the next three years — to improve Idahoans’ access to care.

Rep. Brooke Green

Access to providers who are paid fairly is a key recommendation. Currently all of Idaho, but particularly rural Idaho, lacks access to incensed and/or certified behavioral health providers. Our recommendation to developing a comprehensive workforce plan across all our regions will help increase the amount of providers in Idaho. Additionally, we recommended piloting a federal Certified Community Behavioral Clinic model, which in other states has led to more providers and more treatment options.

Idaho’s lack of behavioral assistance has resorted to families and individuals finding the judicial system as their only means for assistance. All too often in Idaho a person with behavioral health challenges ends up arrested or in jail, and that’s their first interaction with the behavioral health system. We have a set of recommendations that seek to involve people who need care earlier and minimize the involvement of the criminal justice system. Our goal is make it easy for folks to access the right care when they need it during the whole spectrum of their treatment and recovery process.

We also have a series of recommendations on recovery and resiliency. It’s tragic for a child to be  traumatized growing up, and we need to avoid the lifelong effects that can follow. We will build programs to promote longterm resiliency. Recovering from addiction or a mental health disease is often a lifelong process. We know our regional recovery community centers are critical components, which is why we must improve the support they receive and also identify other services we may be missing.

While there is still much work to be done to ensure this plan becomes a reality, it is a giant step forward for our state. Each year, more and more Idahoans are seeking behavioral health services due to a myriad of reasons. But there are even more who don’t seek help — we must change that.

Substance abuse and mental health issues can ruin people’s lives. They are diseases that need to be treated, not stigmatized. We were really inspired by all the medical professionals, government officials, and plain folks with these experience who contributed to this plan. Lots of care but also clear-eyed focus was brought to bear, and we are encouraged we have a plan that will significantly help Idahoans in the long run.

We look forward to learning how the plan’s recommendations will be implemented across state agencies, and are so grateful to have participated in this process.

Luckily, in 2018, Idaho’s voters passed Medicaid Expansion, which was expected to bring Medicaid coverage to about 90,000 Idahoans, and as of Jan. 5, 2021, about 100,529  Idahoans had signed up for expanded coverage. The overall number of Medicaid recipients has grown, partly because of people losing their jobs during the initial economic contraction in the early days of the pandemic.

With more people needing coverage and many of them with untreated health conditions, it has meant our cost estimates were  low, unfortunately. But with a higher federal government contribution during the pandemic for traditional Medicaid, we’re actually saving state dollars in the short term. For example, the Idaho Department of Correction saved $8.3 million over the last two fiscal years because of Medicaid expansion, which picked up a portion of what had previously been fully state-funded costs. Investing in this necessary health care service also makes fiscal sense for our state, not just our citizens. We will have to deal with the growing pains after the pandemic, but frankly, I’m willing to pay a little bit more to ensure people have the insurance coverage they need so they can better contribute to the Idaho economy.

And Medicaid expansion has been a lifeline to our rural critical-access hospitals.  Even now, according to the Idaho Hospital association, 20 out of 27 are running at a net operating margin during the pandemic.  Without it we probably would have seen several of them close in the last two years.

We want everyone to be able to get tested and vaccinated, and, should they need it, get the emergency care they need if they contract the coronavirus. People shouldn’t have to fear for both their financial and physical heath. Plus, as case numbers lessen and our economy recovers more fully, the number of people seeking Medicaid expansion should naturally start to decline.

Instead of grumbling, legislators in Idaho should be glad Idahoans are receiving the care they need, and fund Medicaid like voters asked us to. Medicaid Expansion passed with 61% of the vote overall as well as the majority of the vote in almost every county. Our constituents are benefitting from this, including over 2,200 of my constituents in District 5, and are receiving health coverage through expanded Medicaid. I’m happy to see the program doing its job, and I hope we see this program flourish and be fully funded for many years to come.

After 20 rounds of chemotherapy and multiple surgeries that removed parts of his intestines and other organs, Jeremy has massive internal scarring and is in constant pain. Every day, he must take an array of opioids that cause nightmares, carry a high risk of addiction and overdose, and threaten deadly intestinal obstructions. His wife carries NARCAN everywhere in case he has a life-threatening reaction from these potentially fatal opioids.

While Jeremy dedicated his life to serving his country, Idaho is not currently doing all it should to repay him. What Jeremy really needs is not multiple prescription bottles full of opioids that cause devastating side effects, but medical cannabis. Numerous doctors, including his oncologist, have recommended he take medical cannabis, but he can’t because Idaho is one of only 14 states that bans it. He actually tried it in other states, and it worked very well, relieving his pain without the nightmares and intestinal problems caused by opioids. Almost every jurisdiction that borders Idaho permits medical cannabis, and friends have suggested he just smuggle it in, but Jeremy is not a law-breaker.

Instead, he spent the last two years drafting legislation to carefully regulate and control medical cannabis, containing extensive safeguards so Idaho would not turn into Oregon. Jeremy’s bill is modelled after Utah’s legislation, but is more strict. The cannabis must be in medical dosage form (blister-sealed packaging) in very limited doses, no growing or production allowed, cannabis card needed for possession and only medical providers who can prescribe opioids could prescribe cannabis. Also, if a person misuses their card to obtain cannabis for someone else, it would be revoked immediately upon conviction.

We are state representatives from different parties, but we are co-sponsoring the “Sergeant Kitzhaber Medical Cannabis Act” because pain is not partisan. We agree that Idahoans should not become criminals for seeking safer, better treatment. Thirty six states have legalized medical cannabis, and 22 of these have not progressed to recreational marijuana. Many of these are red states, like Ohio, Utah, Oklahoma and Missouri, that have found a way to get sick people the treatment they need without unsavory pot dispensaries popping up or kids getting access to marijuana.

We can get patients help for pain without stepping on a slippery slope, and this is what most Idahoans want. A 2019 poll from FM3 Research showed 72% of Idahoans were in favor of legalizing cannabis for medical purposes, and that number has likely climbed higher since the poll was taken. There is strong evidence cannabis is a much safer treatment than opioids and would better serve those suffering from a variety of illnesses, like cancer, epilepsy, ALS, and multiple sclerosis.

We have seen efforts this session to put a permanent ban on cannabis for any purpose in Idaho’s Constitution. Instead, for the sake of Jeremy and the thousands of Idahoans in his situation, we believe it is time to provide a safe, regulated way to access the treatment they need. We hope you will join us in helping an Idaho hero and passing the Sergeant Kitzhaber Medical Cannabis Act.

Sen. Michelle Stennett

Dr. Dan Zuckerman, a veteran cancer oncologist at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Boise, confirmed the passage of this constitutional amendment would reduce health care opportunities for Idahoans who are enduring severe, intense pain. Idaho’s “Right to Try” law is thought of as a way for terminally ill patients to access drugs that would otherwise be illegal. Zuckerman pointed out that isn’t how it really works, and he does not feel he can prescribe an illegal drug, such as cannabis, that will not cure a terminally ill patient for pain relief. 

SJR101 permits legalization in Idaho only if approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or part of a documented clinical investigation under the FDA, but cannabis is a natural plant and unlikely to be patented. The cost associated with approval also is extreme, and no pharmaceutical company is going to bear that expense without the ability to retain a patent and recoup on the investment.

If passed, the proposed amendment would effectively operate as a permanent ban on medical cannabis, and under current code, even most CBD oil, as a product containing any quantity of THC is considered a Schedule 1 drug in Idaho. These products are commonly utilized to help manage pain for cancer patients and individuals with chronic diseases and seizures.

Sen. Grant Burgoyne

Hemp and CBD oil are legal federally, as well as in most states, but not Idaho. This bill could put the state at an economic and medical disadvantage. Constitutionally prohibiting drugs that other states and the federal government have approved could compromise medical reimbursements, like Medicare and Medicaid.

We are deeply concerned about the potential medical consequences of allowing the government to prohibit a patient’s health care options. This bill would not protect Idahoans’ quality of life, but diminish it. If there were any medical advancements involving substances not yet legalized, Idahoans would not have access to it under this law. This is unacceptable and insensitive to our citizens’ health crises. We must do better.

A vote on the legislation will take place Wednesday during the 8 a.m. Senate State Affairs Committee meeting. More information can be found on the Legislature’s website.

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum, and House Minority Leader Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, discussed potential legislation with members of the media during the event, and also issued a response to Gov. Brad Little’s State of the State address, which had been delivered earlier in the Capitol’s Lincoln Auditorium.

The pair said the main priorities for the Idaho Joint Democratic Caucus included legislation to ensure fair taxes, affordable health care, access to quality education, criminal justice reform, and economic prosperity.

Both Stennett and Rubel said they, along with the other members of the caucus, looked forward to working with the governor and Republican lawmakers to find bipartisan solutions to provide a better quality of life for all Idahoans, especially working families, who’ve been critically impacted the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Legislature must work together to represent the best interests of every Idahoan in our rapidly changing political, social, and economic environment — now more than ever,” Stennett said. “Our Democratic Caucus remains strong and committed to advocating on behalf of all Idahoans, not only those at the top of the economic ladder.”

“We think there is much opportunity for bipartisan progress this session to benefit the lives of Idahoans,” Rubel added. “And we are ready to work to make that happen during the 2021 Legislative Session.”

While speculating about the hypothetical political opinions of people who died a quarter-millennium ago may be a questionable way to govern ourselves today, for those who believe the secrets of liberty lie somewhere in the past, it is worth considering our nation was founded in the midst of an epidemic. This required the founders to wrestle with similarly controversial matters of public health, the successful navigation of which proved critical to our nation’s early successes.

During the American Revolution, a smallpox outbreak in New England hobbled General George Washington‘s ability to wage an aggressive campaign during the Siege of Boston, dragging it on for nearly a year. Washington feared an outbreak among his own troops, which had decimated the Continental Army’s failed Invasion of Quebec, according to an article in the Journal of Military History. Washington would at times only advance with troops immune to smallpox, and eventually ordered a lockdown during the outbreak that prohibited his soldiers from contact with Boston residents, even their own families. Amid rumors British spies were intentionally introducing smallpox to the Continental Army, as was done against Native Americans during the French and Indian War, Washington needed a public health solution to protect his troops. 

Fifty years earlier, an African-born Bostonian named Onesimus introduced a traditional African remedy for smallpox to the colonies known as inoculation, which involved the introduction of fluid from the pustule of a smallpox patient into a healthy person’s incision. The individual would contract a mild case of the disease and quarantine until they were no longer infectious, providing permanent immunity to the individual and the best available preventative measure. Although a common practice among Black and Native American populations during the Revolutionary Period, it was controversial among white colonists. In addition to sometimes proving fatal, without proper quarantine procedures it led to community spread. This gave inoculation a dangerous reputation, and vigorous anti-inoculation campaigns prompted it’s outlaw in Massachusetts, and it was even punishable by death in the Continental Army.

Convinced of the seriousness of the threat of smallpox to the war effort, Washington took action against its spread by reversing prohibitions against inoculation and mandating the procedure for the entire Continental Army. Officers were resistant to the order, and it took months of angry letters from Washington before it was fully implemented. Once the mass inoculation campaign began, Washington systematized social distancing measures to prevent the threat of outbreaks posed by the recently inoculated. Within a year the Continental Army was effectively immune from smallpox, allowing Washington to engage the British uninhibited by the disease that previously hindered his military campaigns. The rest is history.

Notions that today’s public health interventions pose a novel threat to our liberty or are somehow fundamentally un-American are no doubt rooted in passion, but not in reality. Like Washington, we must appreciate that freedom from an oppressive government is not the only freedom worth fighting for. We’re fighting for freedom from unsafe working and classroom conditions, freedom from life and death decisions made when health care is rationed during a spike, and freedom from the fear of unknowingly infecting a vulnerable loved one with a virus that is killing too many. And like Washington in the face of opposition, those of us who continue to advocate for public health interventions are indeed patriots, fighting for our freedom against a disease that threatens our very lives and liberty.

Our annual state budget transforms the values of our lawmakers into action: how deeply we care about children, seniors, education, health care access and much more. Our budget demonstrates whether we are creating opportunities for Idahoans to climb the economic ladder to prosperity. And it shows when we are catering to special interests or kicking the can down the road when it comes to smart investments.

Recently, the Republican-led Legislature has prioritized costly tax giveaways for the wealthy and well-connected. This has created an upside-down tax system, where the well-off pay a smaller share of their income than people who earn modest wages. It has also reduced our capacity to fund education and other building blocks of a strong economy.

Yet another study of revenue cuts that benefit the rich was released last month. With 50 years of data from 18 countries—including the United States—it proved once again that tax cuts for the well-off make the rich richer without providing real economic benefits to everyone else.

It’s time to chart a different course for Idaho. We must focus on sensible investments and strengthening the middle-class through tax credits that boost working families.

First, we must do right by our children and adequately fund education. When children reach their full potential, they can find the jobs that will allow them to support their own families.

Second, we must fully fund health care. Medicaid is more important than ever. Idahoans signed up for health insurance last year as they faced job losses, cut hours or income loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More residents than expected sought mental health services as well. It is critical that these services continue for the health of our residents as well as our economy. For every $1 allocated from Idaho’s General Fund toward Medicaid expansion, the state receives $9. This has positive ripple effects across local businesses. Cutting health benefits harms not only Idahoans but also our shared economic recovery.

Finally, this is the moment to show up for Idaho’s working families. Pandemic-related unemployment and income loss are still widespread. We cannot waste revenue on failed tax policies when we have evidence of what works: putting more income into the hands of working class families to actually propel the economy forward.

We can spread prosperity by creating tax credits for working families, such as a state earned income tax credit, and making our child tax credit fully accessible to all Idahoans—not just those higher up on the income spectrum. A few hundred dollars can help a family stay current on utility bills, cover a car repair that allows them to get to work or buy shoes for a child’s growing feet. These expenditures, in turn, support our local businesses and lead to greater economic impacts.

On Monday, Governor Little will reveal his values in his executive budget. I encourage him to finally put working Idaho families first.

But the Legislature will have the final word. I hope we can come together to meet the moment, reverse the pandemic’s ongoing economic fallout and realign our tax code with our values for the benefit of all Idahoans.

In fact, in the face of unprecedented revenue surpluses, last week Gov. Brad Little proposed a tax cut, transportation spending and an inappreciable tip of the hat to education, instead of investing in our state and citizens when we need it most. There was no specific mention about how we can support teachers stretched beyond capacity, nor on how to support the strain on our health care system beyond trying to bribe unmasked Idahoans to take heed and do the right thing or their tax cuts will be eaten up in the health care system. There was also no clarification about who would receive a tax cut, leaving Idahoans worrying they’ll be paying more taxes to supplement additional cuts for the wealthiest taxpayers.

I won’t ask politicians to read between the lines, I will spell it out: We need to invest in our health care systems, workers and facilities, as well as housing preservation. Hospitals are on the brink of rationing care due to the rise COVID-19 cases, because we can’t require a simple facial covering and limit social gatherings. And yet, Republican leaders are discussing how they can gut funding toward health care, like Medicaid, at a time when it’s most needed.

It also looks like the governor will ask the Legislature to slash the state’s budget again despite the revenue surplus. Those cuts mean fewer services, longer lines, reduced customer service and less access to the things you need. After cutting vital spending across agencies last year and earlier this year, state agencies are hanging on by a thread — and so are our citizens. I’ve received emails from people who can barely make a living, pay the rent or find medical care, especially elderly folks in independent-living situations who can’t find in-home services due to the nursing shortage and wage crisis.

Excessive budget cuts, a revenue surplus, increased federal funding and an uncontrolled pandemic have not convinced the Republican leadership to invest in programs that keep Idahoans healthy, improve our economic resilience, prepare students for a competitive workforce and save lives.

The Idaho Legislature is hoarding taxpayer dollars, while asking residents to keep hanging on with no real promise of relief. The dollars in the state’s General Fund are our tax dollars, and the Legislature should use that money to reinvest in our communities when we need it most.

Currently, we have $630 million in estimated excess revenue, $600 million in rainy day/reserve funds, over $100 million sequestered in the internet sales tax fund, and after a recent decision by the Coronavirus Financial Advisory Committee, $150 million freed up in the General Fund from federal reimbursements for public health and safety.

Idaho will not be safer with fewer medical staff, people insured or hospital resources, as well as more people homeless. Schools also won’t be able to get students up to speed after this tumultuous year if they don’t have enough teachers or other education resources because of paper-thin funding.

Idahoans are hanging on for dear life, and Republican politicians need to do more than strategize better ways to push us off the edge of the cliff. We need to invest in our citizens and lend a hand up in this overwhelming crisis.

Idaho is at a crossroads and human lives are at stake. As Nurse Connelly said during your press conference, 3,000 people died in the U.S. from COVID-19 today alone. That is more than the number of lives lost in the 9/11 terrorist attack. The people who have died are not just numbers on a spreadsheet. They had families. They were grandmas, grandpas, mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. They were valuable people who deserved leaders with the courage to make compassionate choices to protect their communities.

We implore you to enact and require the best practices that medical experts have approved to reduce the spread of COVID-19. These practices include wearing a facial covering, physical distancing, encouraging employers to support employees working at home, and restricting indoor gatherings. Your own Idaho Economic Rebound Advisory Committee has recommended a statewide mask order because the only way to build back our economy is to stop the pandemic.

You have made it clear you want citizens to do the right thing. You were practically begging Idahoans during your press conference to make “good choices.” Unfortunately, many people are making dangerous choices that endanger the entire state. You also acknowledged the crisis that we face: hospitals are turning people away and making unprecedented plans to ration care. Our own health district couldn’t fulfill the local control that you support due to the unruly and threatening crowd outside their meeting. Your current approach is not working.

You cannot continue to rely on hope that everyone will make “good choices.” You must hold people accountable with the use of the law and order strategies we rely on to protect us from other dangers. Idahoans recognize the difficulty of your political situation, but there is no more patience or space for the decisions that willfully contribute to increasing the coronavirus death rate.

Critical moments require critical action. You are the only person with the authority to immediately require safety measures statewide that will prevent the spread of this deadly, contagious virus.

We appreciate you acknowledging the serious time we are in, but you need to take the next steps to address the problem. We have heard from an overwhelming majority of constituents who want to see you be the leader they chose and know you aspire to be.

We have known you to be a compassionate and knowledgeable leader who genuinely cares for Idaho families. Idahoans are here to support you when you make the difficult decision that is necessary to keep people alive and healthy. We have been following your guidance since the beginning of the pandemic, and we’re willing to help you keep Idahoans safe with required safety measures.

Too many Idahoans have already lost their lives. We implore you to do everything in your power to prevent more tragedies.

Respectfully,

Senator Melissa Wintrow

Representative Lauren Necochea

Representative Chris Mathias

Out of 6 proposed topics by House and Senate Leadership, Governor Little has proposed three pieces of legislation that address the November 2020 election and civil liability during coronavirus. No other subjects will be discussed during the special session. Representative Melissa Wintrow/(D-Boise) expressed her disappointment in the Governor’s special session proclamation. 

“A special session of the Idaho legislature could have been a valuable tool early on in the coronavirus pandemic. However, the proposed legislation does not address many of the serious challenges that our state is currently facing.” Rep. Wintrow said. “Idaho Democrats are talking to voters all over the state and we are hearing that our communities need accessible coronavirus testing with faster results, increased funding to education to keep our children safe, meaningful property tax relief, and the resources to get our economy back on track. I appreciate that we may take steps to make voting in the upcoming election safer, but it’s disappointing that we are leaving everything else off the table. The special session will not make our communities safer and there are no proposals to help employees and businesses make ends meet in an economic crisis.”

“Health experts in Idaho and across the world have made it abundantly clear that large meetings indoors are one of the quickest ways to spread coronavirus. A special session will require legislators and staff from across the state to gather in an indoor space. There will be no mask requirement and there are very few precautions in place to reduce the spread of this highly-contagious, deadly virus. Legislators should not only be concerned about their own health and safety, but of their families and communities as well. We know that many of the individuals who test positive for coronavirus will never show symptoms. Idaho Democrats are deeply concerned that legislators are coming to Ada County, which has consistently been a coronavirus hot spot, and heading back to their districts. Unfortunately, the Idaho legislature is taking minimal precautions, and, in some cases, legislators will intentionally shirk their personal responsibility and choose not to wear masks, which could endanger other legislators and result in legislators bringing coronavirus back to their communities. It’s appalling that elected state leaders are being so cavalier about a deadly virus.”

“Many Idaho legislators are trying to politicize a virus and use it to increase their legislative power. The coronavirus knows no political party. Republican legislators have pressured the Governor to act against the best interest of Idahoans. He has bent to their will and the result is an unnecessary and dangerous political show in the form of a special session. The legislature is taking an enormous risk for the state and we are ignoring most of the recommendations and guidelines that health officials have formulated from their expertise and research on this virus. The reason behind putting Idahoans in danger by calling a special session is convoluted, and will only address a small fraction of the negative impacts of COVID-19. If we are going to take the risk, we should have at least tried to address the legitimate suffering that Idahoans are experiencing.”