House Democrats on Tuesday called on Gov. John Kasich to declare a public health emergency for heroin abuse and overdose in Ohio and provide more funding to law enforcement and treatment centers to fight the problem.
Lawmakers said they plan to introduce a series of bills to fund prevention and treatment proggrams and study how to fund those efforts in next year’s state budget bill.
“The numbers are very clear that we have a public health emergency in this state and we need to address it as soon as we can,” Rep. Matt Lundy, an Elyria Democrat, told reporters. “Ohio has the 12th highest overdose rate in the country — a record 606 Ohioans died from heroin overdoses in 2012. … At least 200,000 Ohioans are addicted to opioids such as heroin.”
A Kasich spokesman disagreed with lawmakers’ assertion fighting opioid addiction wasn’t a high priority for the governor.
The proposed legislation would limit quick access to cash, establish grants for local law enforcement training and personnel and provide more money for mental health and addiction programs. Lawmakers suggested funding could come from savings in the Medicaid program generated by lowering the eligibility requirements. State budget officials first estimated that could be as much as $400 million, but recently said the actual savings would likely be less.
The GOP-controlled House has taken up 15 bills targeting opiate abuse this session. House Health and Aging Committee Chairman Lynn Wachtmann said the legislative record speaks to lawmakers’ commitment to the problem.
Many of the drug abuse bills passed by House had bipartisan support. Rep. Dan Ramos, a Lorain Democrat, said that shows Democrats and their Republican colleagues should be able to come together to pass their proposals and get more people off wait lists for treatment.
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