Howard state candidates forum puts spotlight on mental health
By Amanda Yeager, Howard County Times, Columbia, Md. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The issue came to the forefront in
In a forum hosted by the
Nearly all the candidates said mental illness had touched their lives in some way, with many sharing stories of family and friends who had fought depression and other diseases. Moderator
All the candidates, Democrat and Republican, agreed there was a need for more mental health services statewide, although some differed on the details of how to fund these programs and whether controversial legislation allowing some people with severe mental illness to be treated involuntarily crossed the boundaries of individual liberty.
District 9A delegate candidate
Pendergrass recalled sitting through gun regulation hearings as part of the health and government operations committee. She said she and other legislators had worked with mental health advocates "to find the right balance of protections for everyone."
"My rule is do no harm," Pendergrass said of her governing philosophy. "I try really hard to make things work a little better without doing something that I don't know what the unintended consequences will be."
Turner said the state is "moving in the right direction" when it comes to mental health issues -- not "as fast as we'd like to, but we are making progress, and that's what
The general election is
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