The House approved spending more than $9 million to fight New Hampshire’s opioid crisis with little debate or dissent Wednesday, indicating a growing acknowledgment on both sides of the aisle that the state has to invest dollars to stem the tide of addiction.
The money will go toward a number of state programs, including drug courts – which aim to treat addicted offenders instead of incarcerating them – and housing for people in recovery.
Representatives applauded the efforts, saying they are critical in a state where everyone is affected by addiction.
“I am certain that each one of us knows a family who has a member that is using, or is in recovery, or has died from an overdose,” said Rep. Karen Umberger, a Kearsarge Republican.
Advocates had long viewed the Republican-led House as the major hurdle for the substance abuse bills. But the proposals faced little pushback in the chamber that typically argues over legislation that spends taxpayer money.
The bills have already cleared the Republican-controlled Senate, and the two chambers must now agree on final versions before sending them to Gov. Maggie Hassan. The Democrat has pushed for the state to spend more on the substance abuse crisis, and said in a statement Wednesday she hopes the legislation quickly comes to her desk.
“Today’s vote is another important step forward in our comprehensive approach to stem – and reverse – the tide of this horrible epidemic,” said Hassan, who is running for U.S. Senate.
Drug overdose deaths have spiked in the state in recent years, climbing from 326 overdose fatalities in 2014 to more than 420 last year. Surveys show that New Hampshire residents see substance abuse as a top issue. A recent Granite State Poll found half of New Hampshire voters think the government should be spending more on programs to combat heroin abuse.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say tackling addiction is a top priority, and they met in a special legislative session last December to start work early on such bills.
Yet, despite a pledge from House and Senate leaders to act quickly on the measures, many of the bills meant to curb drug abuse have been slow to move through the process. This is the last week that both chambers can vote on bills. The legislative session ends in June.
The House approved several bills Wednesday that would together spend about $9 million in new and surplus state money. They include:
Launching a $2.23 million grant program to get drug courts, or other diversion programs, into each New Hampshire county. The grants outlined in the bill would be a cost-share between the state and counties – the state would put up half the cost, while the county would cover the rest. The size of the grant depends on the county, and the four largest, including Merrimack and Rockingham counties, could get up to $245,000 per year.
Allocating $130,000 to upgrade the state’s prescription drug monitoring program, which physicians can access to make sure their patients are not doctor-shopping for opioids.
Dedicating $2 million to set up supportive housing across New Hampshire for people with substance use disorders, giving an additional $3 million to treatment and recovery efforts, and allocating roughly $100,000 to fund a new position in the attorney general’s office to prosecute drug cases. Most of the funding would go to the Governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery.
Spending $1.5 million to crack down on drug dealers by putting more local law enforcement officers on the street. The grant program, administered by the Department of Safety, would pay overtime costs and dedicate an estimated additional eight officers per day to the drug problem. The funding also covers overtime costs and supplies at the state forensic science lab, which tests drug samples.
The law enforcement bill faced the most criticism. Some Republicans argued investing money in policing won’t solve the problem.
“We’re playing whack-a-mole with the drug dealers,” said Rep. Max Abramson of Seabrook. “Prohibition never works. It only makes crime worse.”
But others disagreed, and said police presence acts as a deterrent. The bill passed 213-95.
“There is no silver bullet when it comes to solving this crisis, but we believe the measures passed in the House (Wednesday) will aid in the state’s fight against addiction,” House Majority Leader Dick Hinch of Merrimack said in a statement. “Our work won’t stop here, but this set of solutions, we believe, will continue to improve the state’s ability to respond.”
The House is making another attempt to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana after an earlier effort was defeated by the Senate.
State representatives have long sought to reduce the penalties for possessing pot, which they say are too harsh. Under current state law, possession of up to an ounce of marijuana can result in three years imprisonment and a $25,000 fine.
But the Senate has yet to approve a decriminalization bill.
The latest proposal would decriminalize up to a quarter-ounce of marijuana by reducing the penalty to a violation that carries a fine of $300 for a first-time offense. It passed the House by a resounding vote of 289-58.
An identical bill was defeated in the Republican-led Senate at the eleventh hour last year. It’s not clear how the legislation will fare in the upper chamber this year.
Rep. Renny Cushing, a Hampton Democrat and the bill’s sponsor, called it a sensible approach. “This is a compromise that will allow us to have first-time offenders who possess a small amount of marijuana escape al lifetime of draconian punishment,” he said.
New Hampshire is the only state in New England that has not lessened the penalties for marijuana possession. Opponents of decriminalization argue that now is not the time to reduce drug penalties, as the state faces an opioid crisis.