In Letter to Governor Scott Walker, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Encourages Action on Newly Available Federal Funding to Address Opioid Epidemic
Major legislation signed into law this month includes $1 billion in funding championed by Senator Baldwin for states to address opioid epidemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter to Governor Scott Walker today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin encouraged the Governor to act and apply for newly available federal funding to help Wisconsin combat the opioid epidemic. Senator Baldwin led the effort to include $1 billion in investments to fight the opioid epidemic in bipartisan legislation that was signed into law this month.
“This epidemic is not a partisan issue, and a strong partnership between the federal government and our state will be essential to an effective response. I led the effort calling on bipartisan leaders in Congress to include $1 billion in additional investments to address opioid abuse while the 21st Century Cures Act was being negotiated,” wrote Senator Baldwin. “Now that Congress has finally stepped up to be a stronger partner in fighting this epidemic, Wisconsin leaders must act immediately to put these investments to work. Applying for the new state grant funding made available last week will be a significant step in advancing local prevention, treatment and recovery efforts.”
The funds will be made available through the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grants. Applications for the funds are due from states by February 17, 2017. Detailed information on how to apply for the grant is available here: http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/ti-17-014.
Senator Baldwin has been a strong advocate in the fight to address the national opioid epidemic. In just this year, Senator Baldwin has traveled across Wisconsin to hold roundtable dialogues on the opioid and heroin epidemic in Green Bay, La Crosse, Wausau, Viroqua, Ashland, Superior, Eau Claire and Arlington.
Over the past year, Senator Baldwin has been a leading advocate for stronger investments in prevention, treatment and recovery efforts, including cosponsoring legislation to provide emergency funding to address the heroin and opioid abuse epidemic that is devastating communities in Wisconsin and across the country.
An online version of the letter is available here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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One of the best ways, proven to help in other states, to fight the opioid scourge is to end Prohibition (cannabis this time around) in Wisconsin and for the state to start a medical cannabis program like Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois have so as to provide patients with a much safer alternative to treat their medical needs so they don’t get hooked on highly addictive opioids in the first place. Why is Wisconsin mired in the Dark Ages on this issue? I don’t expect us to be in the vanguard on much anymore, and we certainly aren’t (unless you count rampant alcoholism, which cannabis is a great “exit drug” treatment for as well) but I would like us to remain at least vaguely relevant to the rest of the country. Legalize it, tax it, regulate it.