McGrane said it has historically been the case that registering a business is not a “big step in the process,” but it is a necessary step that can lead to frustration when it is not being addressed in a timely manner.
”The economy is doing well (and) the economy has a big impact on business registrations and filings,” McGrane said. “We need to be able to keep up, and, really, the filing fees that our office generates are for that purpose.”
Limited behavioral health restorations
The committee voted to restore the assertive community treatment (ACT) and peer support services programs, bringing back a limited number of behavioral health programs cut by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) last year.
ACT has provided treatment for individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses, allowing for 24/7 treatment outside of a hospital setting while peer support services utilize specialists who have recovered from their own mental health condition to share their past experience and support individuals facing ongoing mental health difficulties.
The committee voted 16-2 to support a motion from Rep. Brandon Mitchell, R-Moscow, to restore these two services through a combined $10.1 million in funding from the state’s opioid settlement fund and Millennium Fund and another $20.5 million in federal matching funds.
Mitchell’s motion excluded restorations for several other behavioral health programs eliminated by IDHW, including an early serious mental illness (ESMI) program, the 1/2 Day Partial Hospital Program (PHP), the skills training and development (STAD) program and provider mileage reimbursement for transportation.
Rep. Rod Furniss, R-Rigby, noted the Idaho Sheriffs’ Association has voiced support in these additional behavioral health programs being restored as their respective departments lack the resources necessary to address individuals facing mental health challenges. The result of these cuts, Furniss said, will be law enforcement putting more people in jail, increasing operating costs for jails and prisons and necessitating increases in property taxes.