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“Politics is not just about winning elections, it’s about changing people’s lives.”
U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone
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In Minnesota, we are experiencing an addiction and suicide epidemic across our state. We have a moral responsibility to address decades of social and economic neglect in our communities. These epidemics of alarming proportions are impacting all of us. From our coworkers, neighbors, friends and family members, we all know someone who has been touched by these diseases. Many of them are trying to navigate these issues alone due to the social stigma and the lack of accessible, lifesaving resources. Those suffering deserve to be seen and supported with the urgency required.
For too long, the issues of mental health and addiction have not been seen as the public health emergencies they are. One of the first notable voices to raise the alarm was the People’s Senator, Paul Wellstone, who made mental health a key cornerstone of his platform. While in office, Sen. Wellstone worked tirelessly to end the stigma and discrimination that was attached to mental illness and substance abuse, fighting to ensure those that needed support had access to the treatment they deserved. After his tragic death, the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was signed into federal law after a gruesome yearslong fight. This law was meant to embody the legacy of Paul and his wife, Sheila. But when this law was passed, it had no teeth in the enforcement because the influence of big money got in the way of improving these people’s lives and limiting the impact Paul and Sheila sought.
Since then, we have fought to continue Paul and Sheila’s legacy and advocate for mental health and addiction support. It took four years — and more than 300 meetings — to push back on the lobbyists and insurance companies to make sure that substance abuse treatment is covered with physical health care insurance in the Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act. Together, we have fought to build on that success with legislation to provide more resources to support those recovering, stop the criminalization of those struggling with addiction and provide better support for youth mental health.