Legislative candidates discuss mental-health issues at forum

JOHN STARK - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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BELLINGHAM - Northwest Washington state legislative candidates grappled with the complexities of state involuntary commitment law Thursday, Oct. 9, at a candidate forum sponsored by the Whatcom and Skagit chapters of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Benita Bowen, president of the organization's Whatcom Chapter, noted the dangers that people with serious mental illnesses may pose to themselves and others if family members can't get them the treatment they need.

"We can only think about what has recently happened in Alger to know that is very true," Bowen said, referring to the arrest of a mentally disturbed man in connection with the slayings of six people. "We can do better, we must do better and we will do better."

In a question posed to each candidate, Bowen contended that this state's involuntary commitment law is among the most stringent, making it more difficult for families to get treatment for mentally ill family members who refuse it. She asked the candidates what they would do to address that.

Steve Van Luven, Republican candidate for a 40th District Senate seat, agreed that lawmakers need to revisit the law.

"I would certainly want to look at changing some of the involuntary commitment laws," Van Luven said.

Van Luven said concerns about the civil rights of the mentally ill are valid, but the current law may need to be rebalanced.

"Let's not forget about the civil rights of the six people who are dead," Van Luven said. "We do have to look at both sides of that."

His Democratic opponent, Kevin Ranker, said he's awaiting the report from a King County task force composed of lawyers, prosecutors, mental health professionals and law officers. The task force was appointed to study the state's mental health system in the wake of the New Year's Eve murder of a Seattle woman by a repeat violent offender with severe schizophrenia. Among other things, the task force is expected to make recommendations on changes to the involuntary commitment law.

Ranker expressed some reservations about making it easier to have someone committed.

"I have a little bit of concern with pulling the trigger too early for adolescents," he said.

Democrat Dave Quall, running unopposed for his 40th District House seat, didn't take a position on the issue, but said he couldn't help wondering if a better system might have prevented the Alger murders.

Jeff Morris, the Democratic incumbent in the other 40th District seat, also sidestepped a direct answer to the involuntary commitment question, but he did call for improvements in emergency care for the mentally ill. Morris, who has served as a volunteer firefighter, noted that when he and his crew responded to someone with physical illness or injury, there was a system in place to deliver the right treatment. But that's not true for mental illness, and that needs to change, Morris said.

Morris's challenger, Green Party candidate Howard Pellett, did not attend.

Mark Flanders, the Democrat challenging incumbent Republican Doug Ericksen for a 42nd District House seat, said the state's existing involuntary commitment law is well-intentioned.

"I think it's important to balance the patient's rights," Flanders said. "This is a difficult issue and the law has to be a little bit careful about that."

He expressed the fear that if involuntary commitment is made too easy, someone could use it against a difficult family member who is not dangerous to anyone.

Ericksen said he's ready to back a change in the law. He said his opinion is based on his experiences talking to distraught family members who have been unable to get help for a loved one with mental illness.

But he also observed that the existing stringent law is in place because some people abused the system in the past.

"Laws oftentimes are made on a worst-case scenario," Ericksen said.

Kelli Linville, a Democrat seeking re-election to a 42nd District House seat, said she too sympathizes with families, because she once faced the need to arrange an involuntary commitment for someone in her own family. She agreed that the state law needs work, and legislators should look at the involuntary commitment laws of other states where the system seems to work better.

Her opponent, Republican Jere Hawn, did not attend.

All the candidates from both parties expressed general agreement that mental health funding is a good investment, because early treatment of the mentally ill will save public expenses later in jails or emergency rooms.

But Morris noted that getting spending increases for anything will be difficult in a time of sagging state revenue, because the future savings don't help balance the state budget today.

Flanders observed that candidates and legislators hear conflicting messages, referring to a Wednesday, Oct. 8 session with the Northwest Business Club.

"Yesterday was a barrage of people yelling at us, 'What are you going to cut?'" Flanders said.