Rep. Lauren Davis D-Shoreline on the end of the legislative session - From Handcuffs to Help

Rep. Lauren Davis, D-32

The legislature adjourns today: sine die. 

I spent the entire session working with my incredible colleagues to shift our state's response to individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) from one of incarceration to one of treatment-- from handcuffs to help. 

While we ultimately did not have the votes to pass 'no criminal penalties for possession of controlled substances,' there is so much that I am proud of in our Blake response bill (SB 5476):

    💜 It includes $88 million in new investments across the entire substance use disorder continuum of care. By my count, this is the largest investment in SUD services in state history-- by orders of magnitude.
    💛 It sets up a new statewide recovery navigator program so that every person, every family has a place to turn in their communities if this disease hits home. The recovery navigator program represents so much of everything I've always dreamed of for our state: real time access to peer-led, person-centered outreach, case management and recovery coaching services that stick with a person no matter where they are on their journey
    💙 It passed the House in a strongly bipartisan manner: 80-18!
When we fully fund outreach, treatment, and recovery support services, recovery is not only possible, it's probable. It's just we never have. Until now.

--Rep. Lauren Davis, D-32