Last month I sent a letter to my three representatives in the Idaho legislature (two representatives and one state senator represent my district) about mental illness and deinstitutionalization, asking them to have the legislature at least start looking into this problem. Even if they took no action, the problem is real. At a minimum, the legislature needs to ask why Jason Hamilton, who was locked up for a suicide attempt and said that he was going to kill others the next time, was released. (And he did what he said.)
So far, I have heard back only from State Senator Tim Corder. To my surprise, I received a hand written letter, not a form letter. Senator Corder agreed with me that the problem is real, and needs to be fixed, but that there are members of the state legislature who adamant about not doing anything about it. Unfortunately, he didn't identify who these roadblocks are, or what their motivations are.
My two representatives in the lower house? No answer yet. I wasn't really planning to run for state legislature, but if these two representatives don't consider this important enough to even answer, it makes me think that it is time to pick on the easier target, and run against him.
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