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(Click here to read the latest mock up of Assembly Bill 194, post testimony hearing.)
On Monday, May 8th, Recovery advocates were the talk of the Nevada Legislature, but not because of a good idea finally realized. Instead, 80 advocates stood up against stigma and the most restrictive peer recovery licensing statute ever proposed…anywhere.
For two and a half hours, recovery dominated the Senate Commerce and Labor committee opposing Assembly Bill 194. Twenty-one exhibits were introduced, eighteen of which opposed the bill and supported the value of peer recovery. Two other Assemblyman awaited hearings on their own bills, one of whom is the newly elected chairman of the Democratic Party. The length of the hearing delayed the Senate’s floor session that afternoon. And throughout the rest of the day, Senators continued to comment on the surprise opposition on a bill that sounds like a good idea.
In Carson City, the room was filled with advocates and others monitoring the issue. Not all testified though they were surprised by the sheer volume of people in opposition. They took notice that recovery does have a voice and is not afraid to use it. When the Chairman realized so many people had shown up in opposition, the tone in the room changed. He noted the positive message of our opposition by saying, “When people wear T-shirts and support something, they don’t usually have red hearts on them”.
The scene from Las Vegas was displayed on TV screens. We saw occasional pans of the full room in a sea of white T-shirts. Otherwise, the camera was focused on the testimony table and voices echoed throughout the room. Some Senators began to show frustration with the testimony in opposition. This frustration was because they didn’t know how important individually centered, community driven recovery support is.
As the hearing continued they tried to direct testimony to specific portions of the bill. When that occurred, they realized how complicated recovery is and how it hits so many different parts of our community. Then their frustration turned to the bill sponsor, who clearly did not adequately consult the community before proposing this bill. From the Capitol, everyone who testified in Carson City had met with the sponsor before the bill was heard the first time. She didn’t listen. She amended her bill to appease her colleagues in the Assembly. But the amendments were not adequate. And when this was shown to her, she stubbornly heeled in. The case had to be made as loudly as possible in the Senate. And each of you was essential to our voice being heard. The hearing showed us who is a friend of recovery.
The Assemblywoman offered to amend her bill to satisfy the courts but no one else. She rejected the call of the recovery community to pull her bill. Various lobbyists have since met with her and she has rejected all proposals. This is no longer a policy issue, its politics. Advocacy efforts have changed by appealing to individual Senators including leadership. It is our intention that through this process, we can stop this bill from becoming law. None of those working in Carson City would be able to persuade lawmakers to abandon this harmful bill without the showing of support that happened on Monday, May 8th. Your voices, your presence, gave advocates in Carson City the leverage we needed to have the tough conversations with Senators. Voting for AB 194 is a vote against recovery and those who support recovery, including the Judiciary, NAMI, the Nevada Behavioral Health Association, Recovery houses, and community driven recovery.
Recovery must continue to speak loudly. The threat of AB 194 has shown that the stigma has more votes. That has to change.
Click here to read the latest mock up of Assembly Bill 194, post testimony hearing.
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