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VOTO MAINTAINED
Vote Maintained to strengthen mental health crisis support
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This spring, lawmakers passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1477 to expand the state’s crisis response system to include a new hotline dealing exclusively with mental health emergencies.
Sponsored by Democratic legislators, the law will divert some calls away from 911 so that Washingtonians can get more specialized crisis responses. In addition, law enforcement officers no longer need to take on responsibilities associated with social workers. This will be funded by a tax of 30 cents a month on most phone services in October 2021 until a bump to 75 cents a month starting in July 2024. All revenue generated by the tax will go to crisis line-related expenses, including expanding hotline personnel during the community mental health crisis associated with the pandemic.
Vote “Maintained” on State Advisory Vote 36.This spring, lawmakers passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1477 to expand the state’s crisis response system to include a new hotline dealing exclusively with mental health emergencies.
Sponsored by Democratic legislators, the law will divert some calls away from 911 so that Washingtonians can get more specialized crisis responses. In addition, law enforcement officers no longer need to take on responsibilities associated with social workers. This will be funded by a tax of 30 cents a month on most phone services in October 2021 until a bump to 75 cents a month starting in July 2024. All revenue generated by the tax will go to crisis line-related expenses, including expanding hotline personnel during the community mental health crisis associated with the pandemic.
Vote “Maintained” on State Advisory Vote 36.
Fred Chang
Incumbent Fred Chang is running to retain Position 6 on the Port Orchard City Council. Chang works for the State Department of Transportation in Seattle. He was elected to the council in 2005 after serving on the city’s planning commission for six years.
Because of a Tim Eyman initiative, the Legislature is required to submit any bill it passes that closes tax loopholes or raises revenue to a nonbinding advisory vote. The Legislature had a historically productive 2021 session, resulting in several advisory votes appearing on the ballot. We hope the Legislature will change the law to remove these meaningless measures in the future.