Richardville Urges Leadership, Bi-Partisan Cooperation To Address ‘Mental Health Crisis’
Back in 2014, then-Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville put together a $1.5 billion road funding plan with higher fuel taxes, among other things. He said the incentive at the time was what he was hearing in his district.
“I think the most common phrase I’m hearing from back home is ‘just fix the roads. In fact, they say ’just fix the damn roads,” Richardville is quoted in an MLive article as saying.
Richardville was before his time in coining that catchphrase. His counterpart in the Senate at the time, Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer, used the slogan during her gubernatorial campaign with success.
But like Whitmer, Richardville wasn’t able to get any traction on this plan. Gov. Rick Snyder and House Speaker Jase Bolger gave it a frosty response and the issue carried over into the next term.
Now, with House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) putting out a revamped proposal using existing revenue and now-Gov. Whitmer slated to come out as soon as Monday with a road funding plan that she has said will be a mix of new revenue and cuts, Richardville feels bipartisanship may be back in the air.
And that’s what brings the former Senator from Monroe back to Lansing. Richardville was the guest on WKAR’s Off The Record last month and spoke separately with MIRS on other subjects Whitmer and other state government leaders could work together to solve problems. He noted that he and Whitmer worked well together on a number of things in the state Senate – Detroit bankruptcy and Medicaid expansion, to name two.
“We can get things working together, and I have experience and a long-time career in doing it,” he said.
Richardville considers mental health as being at the top of the list. The political discussion surrounding mental health in the last year or two has gravitated toward gun control. After having seen mental health problems through his work with the poor, imprisoned and troubled, Richardville said the “mental health crisis” runs much deeper than that.
“This generation of young people is the first one in recorded history to have a lower life expectancy than the generation before it,” he said. “They’re dealing with stresses and mental illnesses and anguish like I’ve never seen before and someone needs to step up and say this mental health system isn’t working the way it should.”
Mental health care isn’t failing in Michigan because of lack of funding, Richardville said. There’s plenty of that. It’s a lack of leadership.
“I’d love for her to step up and say, ‘This is going to be one of my main issues,” he said.
For three years, Richardville was the executive director of Monroe-based Oaks Village, a campus that included a homeless shelter, food pantry, medical clinic and space for daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. He’s also worked with inmates as part of a special program to help turn their lives around.
But what really turned him on to mental health issues was the death of Travis Weber, a former Snyder aide, whose suicide in 2019 at age 33 shook the Capitol community. Tackling mental health issues isn’t something that politicians can use to win over voters, but it is a legacy-building initiative that impacts real lives in this post-COVID world.
Speaking of the Weber death, Richardville wrote in an article he published on LinkedIn,“The event touched me, and it made me want to do something . . . Many well-meaning people are working hard, but many people are also suffering . . . Leadership requires action; it is time to act.”
Get Ready For A Robust Health Policy Committee
Rep. Curt Vanderwall (R-Ludington) is chairing the House Health Policy Committee this term, giving him a second chapter after he chaired the Senate Health Policy Committee from 2019-22.
He said 340B contract restrictions for prescription drugs and pharmacy benefit manager reform are the first two policies on his mind heading into committee meetings.
Vanderwall said his committee will meet every week and use every minute allotted to them because “there’s a lot to do,” and his methodical approach to legislation means that he doesn’t want to rush bills out of committee.
“I want to make sure that the committee feels very comfortable with the legislation that’s in front of us,” Vanderwall said, adding that his goal is for legislation reported out of his committee to be reported unanimously each time.
As for bills that didn’t make it to the governor’s desk last term, Vanderwall said that Rep. Julie Rogers (D-Kalamazoo)’ HB 4037 , which they worked on together last term, is something that he’d like to see go all the way. This bill would create a health data utility designed to improve medical record sharing between doctors and reduce medical errors, but it died in the Senate after passing the House last term.
Vanderwall said he hasn’t talked with Minority Vice Chair Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) yet, but he thinks they’ll have a good working relationship and admires her honesty and forthcoming outlook on issues she feels strongly about.
Proposed Bill Fines Counties For Sewage In Public Waterways
Rep. Douglas Wozniak (R-Shelby Township) introduced a bill last month imposing an up to $1 million monthly fine on counties for letting sewage spill into public waterways.
He said he proposed the fine in response to Oakland County discharging its overflow sewage into the Red Run Drain during a rainstorm, which impacts Macomb County. The sewage subsequently trickles down to the Clinton River through the drain and eventually ends up in Lake St. Clair.
“Sporadic weather conditions, including heavy rains for days on end, are not uncommon in Michigan,” Wozniak said. “When unforeseen circumstances arise, the water has to go somewhere. But that doesn’t mean a county should make it a habit to dump its waste into public waterways. With this plan, we’re trying to stop another county from developing the same dangerous habits Oakland has become so unwilling to shake.”
The legislation would require a county to submit a discharge recovery plan to the Department of Great Lakes and Energy after its first violation. The fee would be imposed if the county fails to submit a plan yielding at least a 50% sewage reduction rate over the span of five years, or if the county does not implement the plan.
“No county should be dumping its waste onto another county, especially when the dumping practice is a direct result of blatant mismanagement,” said Wozniak. “It should go without saying that no county should be treated as a dumping ground by another. My home in Macomb may be most affected by this issue now – but this legislation would prohibit these disgusting practices from occurring across Michigan.”
Law Enforcement, State Governments Playing Catch Up On Fentanyl
When asked what the state government can do to assist with the fentanyl issue, Ron Wiles of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police (MACP) said education is key, as well as more resources as law enforcement attempts to “play some catch up.”
Wiles serves as the MACP’s deputy director, and is currently a commissioner for the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES), overseeing law enforcement training and licensing curriculum. Prior to that, Wiles was Grand Blanc Township’s chief of police.
He came on a recent episode of the MIRS Monday podcast, and was asked about the fentanyl issue. Ultimately, he said law enforcement was “kind of caught in a state of ‘well, what is this?'” and because they weren’t really prepared initially, “we’ve been trying to play some catch up.”
“One of the biggest challenges for law enforcement is resources, whether that is (the) number of officers that they can dedicate to trying to intervene in some of these fentanyl issues, whether it’s training to properly handle or deal with the fentanyl issue or whether it’s technology to … safely identify fentanyl,” Wiles said.
According to the state’s substance-use disorder resources, the emergence of fentanyl took place in 2013 – when Michigan’s recorded overdose death rate was 15.5 per 100,000 residents, or 1,535 deaths. In 2023, the rate increased to 29.2 per 100,000 Michiganders, with 2,931 deaths.
New House Judiciary Committee Chair Sarah Lightner (R-Springport) said on Jan. 22 that the Legislature needs “to make sure we get increased penalties for fentanyl dealers across the finish line, because too many of our communities see the devastation this drug has on its residents.
“We need to give our law enforcement, prosecutors and judges the tools that they need to help with the crisis,” said Lightner said at the press conference on the House Judiciary Committee’s vision for 2025-26 legislative term.
In the last 2023-24 legislative term, 12 bills featured the word “fentanyl” in the title, but none received a Senate or House vote. Lightner sponsored one of them, which makes manufacturing or delivering 1,000 grams of fentanyl or heroin a lifetime, $1 million felony. The penalty for producing 1,000 or more grams of other illegal substances would be a 30-year, $1 million felony.
Wiles said awareness – through the state’s health department and other community partnerships, in particular—is critical.
“I know several agencies have what are called ‘Quick Response Teams,’ where they get them in contact with a harm reduction or prevention treatment program in their community … how can we better expand on those?” he said.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) in August 2023, more than 600 state-level bills related to fentanyl were introduced in a single legislative session across the United States, with 103 laws becoming enacted.
Arkansas made it a lifetime, $1 million felony to possess or distribute fentanyl in a way possibly appealing to minors, through shape, color or packaging. Meanwhile, in Texas, the state started creating “grade appropriate” curricula on the dangers of opioids for the 2023-24 academic year, and created a fentanyl poisoning awareness week with lessons for sixth through 12th graders.
According to United Educators (UE) – an insurance and risk education group – Maryland, New Mexico, New York and California have provisions allowing or mandating public schools to keep Naloxone on-hand and train certain personnel to administer it.
Naloxone is a medication used to block and reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Currently in Michigan, accessing Naloxone does not require a prescription, and it can be made available in vending machines.
When fentanyl first entered the scene, Wiles said, law enforcement was trying to figure out how to safely handle the substance, putting on protective suits, gloves and goggles “all in an effort to safely handle” suspicious packages and substances.
“There (are) more tools out there, resources out there … they’re expensive in some cases to be able to use,” Wiles said, describing the importance of partnerships with local and national groups. “Don’t think that fentanyl is the latest and greatest … other substances have come out that are more dangerous – carfentanil and whatever else is coming up down the road.”
He said it’s important for law enforcement, public health agencies and harm reduction specialists – who deal with reducing fatalities related to drug use – to look at what’s coming down the road and to prepare strategies.
DNR Warns Bird Hunters Of Avian Flu
The Michigan Department of Resources warned goose hunters to protect themselves and their animals from highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.
The risk of infection for people is low but can happen, especially from contact with an infected animal or fecal material. There were two cases of dairy workers contracting bird flu in 2024.
“While waterfowl hunters are much more likely to encounter wild birds, it’s important for all Michiganders to understand the health risks that bird flu can pose to wildlife, humans and domestic animals,” said DNR Wildlife Health Supervisor Mitch Marcus.
Wild birds can carry the virus without appearing sick, and the DNR discourages people from handling wild birds that are sick or found dead. A die-off of six or more birds in one area can be reported to the online DNR Eyes in the Field or by contacting a nearby field office.
The DNR said bird meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees to kill any viruses.
Gutting of birds should be done in the field, and the remains after processing should be buried onsite or double-bagged and put in the trash.
Knives and equipment should be disinfected and rubber gloves should be worn when handling and cleaning the birds.
If contact is made with a sick or dead bird, symptoms to watch out for up to 10 days after include a fever over 100 degrees, sore throat, shortness of breath, tearing or irritated eyes, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle or body aches.
“The virus has been identified in Michigan’s wild birds and mammals, as well as domestic cats, dairy cattle and poultry,” Marcus said.