The debates continue over the Mental Health Parity Act (HB 1013) and both sides seem to be drawing a line in the sand. The Capitol has been packed the past few days with those on both sides of the bill holding their hand-written signs and lining the halls of the Gold Dome. Even as bill sponsor Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) announced a broad coalition of businesses, health care providers and other stakeholders who are supporting the bipartisan bill (as reported by InsiderAdvantage Thursday), other groups were meeting with members of the state Senate, voicing their opposition to the bill prior to any vote by the Senate.
Among those opposing the bill is GOP activist and Republican candidate for Lt. Governor Jeanne Seaver, who sent out a press release Thursday stressing her concerns.
“While Georgians need and deserve better mental health services, this 77-page atrocity dramatically increases consumer prices, grows government, centralizes mental health care, and invites the ‘woke’ World Health Organization (W.H.O.) into the lives of Georgians in need of mental health services,” said Seaver. “In alignment with the diagnostic guidelines of the DSM-5, the bill would force Georgians to pay for gender reassignment surgeries and hormone blockers for minors. And pedophilia would be classified as a mental illness, rather than a crime.
The bill would make it easier to detain people without their consent. And it would usher in dangerous ‘red flag’ gun laws,” Seaver continued. “Georgians need mental health care targeted to their needs, not this sweeping bill with global implications.”
The bill’s supporters attribute much of the opposition to misinformation circulating online. Some of those speaking out against the bill in hearings Wednesday said they were not affiliated with any groups. However, many said they learned about the bill through groups like Truth in Education.
Georgia Right To Life has come out against the bill and posted an action alert on social media.
“Mental Health Parity Act (HB 1013) — HB 1013 will allow the state to invade the privacy of our homes, schools, and churches. Please take immediate action to contact Senate Health and Human Services Committee members listed at the link below.”
GOP activist Debbie Dooley has also been outspoken about the bill. In an email to followers, she said, “This bill reminds me of ObamaCare. If you recall, there were new mandates to insurance companies, yet we were promised time and time again by the Democrats that our insurance premiums would not rise. Remember that? They were wrong and insurance premiums skyrocketed. The same thing will happen with this massive bill that is dependent on a backdoor expansion of Medicaid to operate. That is why the references to federal guidelines and federal law are mentioned.
She went on to say, “The supporters of this horrible bill put out talking points that were not factual to try to save the bill. I am reaching out to national groups for their analysis of the bill. I will share any information I receive. My understanding is that the Congressional Freedom Caucus in D.C. has provided analysis to their Georgia House members that this is a bad bill.”
In her press release, Seaver commended Georgia House Freedom Caucus Members, Rep. Charlice Byrd, Rep. Sheri Gilligan, and Rep. Philip Singleton for standing against the bill and for shedding light on the negative aspects of this bill.
According to some reports, State Sen. Dean Burke, a Bainbridge Republican who chaired a subcommittee looking at HB 1013, said he is holding off for now on deciding what, if anything, he wants changed in the House bill. “I’m still in the information gathering phase,” he said last week, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m not looking that far ahead just yet.”
The bill is in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee which is chaired by Sen. Ben Watson (R-Savannah). He announced Wednesday that the full committee will meet again next week.
Among those showing strong support for the bill are the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) as reported in Thursday morning’s InsiderAdvantage. Both organizations urged the Senate to follow the lead of the House and pass the bill.
