Our own Patricia Wentzel will be delivering a guest presentation on the Prop. 1 ballot initiative that will appear on our Primary Election ballots in February/March 2024.

The event is hosted by NAMI and will be a Zoom event. NAMI is one of our 12 Community Partners in 2024.

Please join us and support NAMI and Patricia !

Date and Time: Feb 12, 2024 07:00 PM

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/ 87448007779?pwd= TUZ2UHVINHRscEc2cHp5ZklCMkxodz 09

Meeting ID: 874 4800 7779

Passcode: 672054

What is this about? Proposition 1 on the February/March 2024 Primary Ballot.

Can My Church Get Involved in Educating Voters About Prop 1? : Under Federal tax laws, UUSS is PERMITTED to express a view on ballot measures like this one. (The same is not true when it comes to supporting a political candidate.) A UUSS member, Patricia Wentzel, as part of her work for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Sacramento, is giving a neutral pros and cons presentation which is open to the public. UUSS members are invited to attend using the zoom link provided. It is NOT available through the UUSS zoom portal.

What Are the Key Fiscal Issues? If passed, $6.4 Billion in bonds would be issued to pay for the development of needed residential and treatment beds for people with severe mental illness and substance use disorders including $1.1 Billion for unhoused Veterans. It makes no provision for the long term costs of operating those programs and facilities and fails to clarify how the services that accompany the permanent supportive housing built with the bond measure will be funded.

Other important Issues? Prop 1 also expands the universe of people who can receive services to include those who are living with a severe substance use disorder regardless of whether they have a severe mental illness. It does so without expanding the funding for those services which may result in cuts to existing mental health treatment programs without additional funding provided by Sacramento County through new revenue or shifting of funding between County programs.

Also: Prop 1 mandates that counties shift funds away from outpatient and crisis services in favor of paying for housing for people with severe mental illness and severe substance use disorder regardless of whether they engage in treatment or other services. It requires counties to prioritize programs for people who are unhoused or at risk of institutionalization including jail over people who are not. Once again, additional local funding through new tax dollars or shifting money away from other County programs and services may be required in order to sustain outpatient and crisis services at existing levels.

This is a very simplified and limited assessment of the changes Prop 1 might bring to Sacramento County.

NAMI California supports Prop 1. California League of Women Voters opposes Prop 1.

For a more nuanced and complete information NAMI Sacramento is offering a short presentation of the Pros and Cons of Proposition 1 and its expected effects on Sacramento County on February 12th at 7 pm online through the zoom link provided above.

Please note that you cannot join this Zoom through the UUSS portal.