Mental health, Medicaid woes top Breckenridge’s list in 2018
Breckenridge, first elected to office in 2016, said he's hopeful the legislature can find untapped resources to aid
Polls show the state ranking dead last in mental health resources, and Breckenridge said during his 27-year career with the
"I do see that as a major crisis in the state, and we need to do everything we can to help those individuals. I think that we as a state aren't doing enough to help people suffering from mental illness," Breckenridge said. "It's going to affect everyone in the state."
Part of the issue surrounding mental health is making sure the stigma of the disease is eradicated, Breckenridge said. As he's watched friends and family suffer from mental illness, Breckenridge said it's important people understand mental illness is a disease like any other and the sooner people receive treatment the sooner they'll be on the road to recovery.
Many of the state's mentally ill are currently incarcerated, with some estimates showing 40 to 60 percent of the state's prison population is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Breckenridge said he's in favor of jail diversion programs, which allow some first-time offenders to receive treatment instead of jail time, putting resources where they're needed the most. There's no easy answer when it comes to mental health, and Breckenridge said the first step was to get stakeholders at the table to find a way forward.
"I think if you look at any approach to dealing with the issue we face in
As the state grapples with the best way to treat
Breckenridge said either the state has to find a way to fix the current system, including making sure providers are getting paid on time for their services, or consider going back to the state-run system. He said to his knowledge, more than 10,000 people have been moved back under the state's care, and more may be on their way. It's clear the state is in "dire need" of a change, Breckenridge said.
"I think the current administration and the legislature must look at all options to determine where we go to address this issue," Breckenridge said. "It's a major issue that we're facing right now and we cannot wait until
Education funding and the state budget shortfall
With the state facing a serious shortfall for the coming fiscal year, Breckenridge said the state faces a "very difficult position" as they open session in January. While he isn't sure what cuts legislators will propose to balance the budget Breckenridge said he doesn't expect to see a tax increase next year. Rather, he's expecting cuts, although it's soon to say where or when those cuts will be. Breckenridge said he's concerned those cuts may affect critical services in the state, including mental health and education, two of the most important areas for Breckenridge.
"When you're starting out with a
Breckenridge wants to continue to make school funding a priority for the legislature and said he believes the public school system represents a critical link in preparing students for post-secondary education. Legislators need to do "everything in their power" to make sure students are prepared to enter the workforce, he said. Breckenridge also said he's concerned state spending on education isn't keeping up, and the legislature needs to continue to increase spending on public schools to stay competitive, something he's concerned about in light of the budget crisis facing the state.
"It's very frustrating to see that in place, and I guess when we looked at it last year when we gave
Increasing education spending can pay dividends beyond the classroom, Breckenridge said. He said he hopes focusing on educational issues will help the state narrow its skilled trades gap and fill some of the vacant positions that exist across
"That helps our
Tax incentive oversight
Finding ways to boost
"I'm all in favor of helping if there's a return on investment," Breckenridge said. "We cannot just do it just because we think it's going to work, we have to be good stewards of our tax dollars."
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