MENTAL HEALTH TO TAKE HUGE CUTS IN SENATE, HOUSE BUDGETS—CALLS NEEDED

Key legislators familiar with the upcoming Senate and House budgets confirm that the expected $8 billion-plus deficit will spark deeper cuts, including severe reductions at Western State Hospital in Lakewood and Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake.

This would include ward closures and much more. Other details are not available.

We know that the legislative budgets will be much more harsh than the governor’s plan because the deficit has grown since December.

The March revenue forecast comes out Thursday. The Senate budget could come out as soon as Monday, with a floor vote by Wednesday. Then the House would follow suit a couple days later. The rest of the session would then focus on ironing out differences between the two budgets.

On mental health and other programs, our focus will shift to that last month of the session when the real work on the budget takes place, often out of sight.

But first, let’s get calls in on this new target, mental health. By the way, mental health members have come to Olympia to lobby for a lot of programs outside mental health. Now it’s their turn to get your help.

So far, we know the huge mental health cuts will be in the House budget, so we need to start there. But call all your legislators. If we get word the cuts are in the Senate budget that comes out first, we’ll let you know.

CALL TO ACTION ON MENTAL HEALTH:

• Call 1-800-562-6000.

• The message: No cuts to mental health, including Western State Hospital and Eastern State Hospital. It harms the continuum of care and public safety by throwing patients onto the streets when cities and counties don’t have the resources to handle the consequences.

Call or email that message to your three legislators and Speaker of the House Frank Chopp.

If you have members on the House Health and Human Services Appropriations or House Ways and Means Committee, target calls to them.

• The members of the House Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee are:

Rep. Eric Pettigrew of the 37th Dist. (chair)
Rep. Larry Seaquist of the 26th Dist. (vice chair)
Rep. Joe Schmick of the 9th Dist. (ranking minority member)
Rep. Gary Alexander of the 20th Dist. (assistant ranking minority member)
Rep. Sherry Appleton of the 23rd Dist.
Rep. Eileen Cody of the 34th Dist.
Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson of the 36th Dist.
Rep. Doug Ericksen of the 42nd Dist.
Rep. Norm Johnson of the 14th Dist.
Rep. Mark Miloscia of the 30th Dist.
Rep. Dawn Morrell of the 25th Dist.
Rep. Al O’Brien of the 1st Dist.
Rep. Mary Helen Roberts of the 21st Dist.
Rep. Maureen Walsh of the 16th Dist.
Rep. Alex Wood of the 3rd Dist.

• Members of the House Ways and Means Committee are:

Rep. Kelli Linville of the 42nd Dist. (chair)
Rep. Mark Ericks of the 1st Dist. (vice chair)
Rep. Gary Alexander of the 20th Dist. (ranking minority member)
Rep. Barbara Bailey of the 10th Dist. (assistant ranking minority member)
Rep. Bruce Dammeier of the 25th Dist.
Rep. Bruce Chandler of the 15th Dist.
Rep. Eileen Cody of the 35th Dist.
Rep. Steve Conway of the 29th Dist.
Rep. Jeannie Darneille of the 27th Dist.
Rep. Kathy Haigh of the 35th Dist.
Rep. Bill Hinkle of the 13th Dist.
Rep. Sam Hunt of the 22nd Dist.
Rep. Ross Hunter of the 48th Dist.
Rep. Ruth Kagi of the 32nd Dist.
Rep. Phyllis Kenney of the 46th Dist.
Rep. Lynn Kessler of the 24th Dist.
Rep. Eric Pettigrew of the 37th Dist.
Rep. Skip Priest of the 30th Dist.
Rep. Charles Ross of the 14th Dist.
Rep. Joe Schmick of the 9th Dist.
Rep. Larry Seaquist of the 26th Dist.
Rep. Pat Sullivan of the 47th Dist.