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Friday, March 4, 2005
Capitol Watch: A blow to discrimination
Washington state took a huge step toward ending decades of discrimination yesterday, with broad bipartisan approval in the state Senate 40-9 for mental health parity legislation. The bill passed the House 67-25 earlier in the legislative session.
Sponsors wrote the new law to be phased in over a six-year period, expressly to reduce the immediate fiscal impact on business and on the state budget. There's no question, however, that covering mental illness on parity with physical illness will save business and government far more than the cost of coverage in less absenteeism, increased productivity, decreased substance and alcohol abuse and fewer physical aliments.
Some Senate Republicans attempted a cynical parliamentary maneuver with a floor amendment to mandate immediate parity. That would have made the bill fiscally untenable. The amendment was defeated along party lines.
But, to their credit, when it came time to vote on the measure itself, most of the Republicans supported the bill. Sen. Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, said in a floor speech that while he had never voted for a mandate on business before, he would break precedent on this bill and be "proud to do it."
For the record, only nine senators voted against the measure: Brad Benson, R-Spokane; Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood; Luke Esser, R-Bellevue; Bill Finkbeiner, R-Kirkland; Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside; Bob McCaslin, R-Spokane Valley; Bob Morton, R-Orient; Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville; and Val Stevens, R-Arlington.
 | |
| Should mental health care be covered? | |
 68.2%Yes, it's about time |
28.4% No, it's one more expense |
| 3.4% Don't know or don't care |
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| Total Votes: 148 | |
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