Moscow legislator leads fight to end suicides in Idaho
BOISE — A House committee passed a resolution Tuesday that supports the Idaho legislature prioritizing addressing Idaho’s suicide rate in the coming years. The resolution would only be binding if passed by the full legislature and approved by Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter.
“Suicide is an important public health issue in the state of Idaho,” said Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, bill sponsor. “This resolution is a commitment, a commitment from the legislature that we see a problem and we want to get to work on this.”
According to the Suicide Prevention Action Network of Idaho, suicide is the leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults in the state. The group also reports Idaho had the eighth highest suicide rate in the nation, with a rate 44 percent higher than the national average.
The resolution would charge the Health Quality Planning Commission (HQPC) with preparing an implementation plan for a suicide prevention program similar to the Idaho Suicide Prevention Plan published in 2003. The commission would then recommend policy and statutory changes to the legislature.
The Idaho Council on Suicide Prevention published the 2003 prevention plan to the public. The council, along with other stakeholders, would be on deck to help the HQPC suggest changes to Idaho Code, craft programs serving populations at risk and hash out training strategies for educational, health care and public safety personnel.
After Schmidt introduced his proposal, Rep. Vander Woude, R-Nampa, asked if Schmidt had an issue with the 2003 plan, because his resolution calls for the HQPC to spearhead the project, an organization not involved with the previous plan.
“The HQPC has the perspective of the resources available in education, professional training and availability, as well as other resources from the community,” Schmidt said. “To combine those as a perspective is a way to give the legislature the best direction.”
Kim Kane, program director for the Idaho Lives Project, would assist the HQPC to pass an implementation plan next year, should the resolution pass. Kane is also a member of the Idaho Council on Suicide Prevention. She spoke in favor of the resolution at the committee hearing.
“We do have a very good suicide prevention plan, we don’t need a new one,” Kane said. “What we need is an effective, comprehensive … implementation strategy to move the plan forward and help save lives in Idaho, and we need more partners at the table.”
Chairman of the HQPC, Dr. Robert Polk, said Idaho has a suicide rate of 19.1 suicides per 100,000 citizens — which he said reflects an increase in suicide rates reported by the 2003 prevention plan of 14.4 suicides per 100,000 citizens.
Polk testified in support of Schmidt’s proposal and said the commission has looked into Idaho suicides for the past two years.
Rep. John Rusche, D-Lewiston, proposed the resolution go to the House floor with a do-pass recommendation, which was unanimously approved by the committee.
George Wood Jr. can be reached at [email protected]