Orange County 2023 Legislative Package

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ORANGE COUNTY 2023 PRIORITY LEGISLATIVE ISSUES Mental Health & Behavioral Health Services — Seek legislation to develop and fund mental health and behavioral health facilities and services at the state and local level that: • ensure adequate State-funded mental health, developmental disability and substance use disorder services and facilities are available, accessible and affordable to all residents; • include dedicated resources for community para-medicine projects and enhanced mobile crisis response; • support Medicaid reimbursement to EMS for behavioral health transport to crisis centers; • reduce the number of people with mental health issues in county detention centers; • ensure that state resources fund service provision costs, inclusive of crisis intervention and treatment; • provide assistance to NC residents, especially youth, who are dealing with the impacts of COVID; • Increase innovation waiver slots more aggressively to meet the Olmstead Act requirements; and • Increase compensation for nurses and direct support staff funded by innovation waivers and other Medicaid sources. Medicaid Expansion — Support legislation increasing access to the Medicaid program to make health insurance available to North Carolina residents at 138% of the poverty level; broaden the opportunity for coverage for more than 500,000 North Carolinians to address chronic conditions and to prevent illness and disease progression; to provide additional support for rural hospitals; and to protect families from medical debt and bankruptcy; Racial Equity in Criminal Justice — Support continued consideration and implementation, where practicable, of the recommendations of the North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice (TREC), including: • legislation to legalize the possession and use of marijuana and permit licensed businesses to engage in retail sales to adults, as this decriminalization will in turn broaden the agricultural economy and jobs as well as enhance revenue for governments with taxes, licenses, and other associated revenues that can be utilized to address opioid and other drug-related problems and other needs; • policing reforms to address use of force, community oversight and law enforcement training on crisis intervention; • Funding at the county level to expand access to diversion and restorative justice programs; • the reduction of fines, fees and costs in criminal court, noting that such fines, fees and costs disproportionately impact people of color and people of low income; and • the decompression of Juvenile Justice salaries. Concealed Weapons in Parks and Red Flag Law — Support legislation authorizing counties to regulate the carrying of concealed weapons on county-owned playgrounds and in county-owned parklands, and allowing courts to prevent access to firearms for individuals who show signs of being a danger to themselves or to others. Mental illness, escalating threats, substance abuse and domestic violence are among the circumstances in which a judge should have the authority to order weapon restrictions or surrender;