In another fit of trying to fog up its failure to act on important issues, the House yesterday passed House Cconcurrent Resolution 6023, a resolution from Rep. Rhonda Milstead (R-9/Hartford) recommending an interim study on the mental health needs of first responders. Recall that last week Republicans on House Commerce and Energy expressed its practical contempt for police, firefighters, and other first responders by killing a bill that would have added post-traumatic stress disorder to the on-the-job injuries that qualify first responders for worker’s comp. Rep. Milstead thus proposed this resolution to recommend that the Executive Board put first-responder mental health on the interim study agenda.
Wait—recommend?
Yup. The House can’t even work up the courage to direct their leadership to put this matter under the microscope. HCR 6023 doesn’t do one thing for first responders injured by the emotional strain of their service. It just says House members would like to study the issue, if their leaders tell them it’s o.k. to do so.
This toothless exercise in rhetorical posturing passed 59–3.
How unseemly it would be for wingnuts to support “Socialist” programs. Not cricket!
As a father of a cop I find this disgusting 🤢
Owen, if the Executive Board takes the recommendation of the members it represents, we should make sure that your son and other first responders who understand the problem pack the hearings and tell their stories.
Or maybe we could just get the police organizations to rally their members to vote for legislators who will actually support them.
It would be great to see a hearing room full of fire fighters, cops, EMTs and other such folk to do a little campaigning for their health. I’d like to see some of those spineless SDGOP boys tell the firsts to their faces that they don’t feel like getting them help.