Rep. Jarchow doesn’t understand the opioid epidemic

Wisconsin is facing a crisis of opioid abuse — lives are lost, families are split apart, and communities across the state are ravaged by this epidemic. When faced with a problem this severe, our leaders must step up and address it head on in the best way they know how.

Republican Rep. Adam Jarchow, a candidate for State Senate District 10 in the upcoming special election, has demonstrated he is not that leader, and that he has no idea how to solve our opioid epidemic.

In an interview with Wisconsin eye, Jarchow was asked what our next steps should be in combating the opioid crisis. His bizarre response: “…the most important thing that we can do both with heroin and meth is to build Trump’s wall. They tell me there is nothing more important to stopping the flow of illegal drugs into this country than to stop the open borders that we have in the south.”

Unfortunately for both Jarchow and the people of Wisconsin, experts have repeatedly stated that building a border wall would be highly ineffective when it comes to combating the opioid epidemic Wisconsin is facing.

Even President Trump’s own Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis agrees. In July, they released a list of recommendations on combating the opioid crisis that never mentioned a border wall. What the report said was that this crisis “began in our nation’s health care system” and noted that “four out of every five new heroin users begin with nonmedical use of prescription opioids.”

Instead of improving our health care system, Jarchow voted against accepting federal money to expand BadgerCare. This would have covered more than 70,000 Wisconsinites and saved Wisconsin hundreds of millions of dollars — money which could have been put towards saving lives through treatment and recovery services.

Fortunately, Wisconsinites have another choice in this election: Democrat Patty Schachtner.

As St. Croix County’s medical examiner and a former EMT, Patty has dealt with the tragic end results of opioid epidemic firsthand. Due to her experience in law enforcement on the frontlines of the crisis, Patty knows it takes real work here in Wisconsin to solve this problem, not some symbolic, divisive wall.

Here’s what she says on the epidemic:

“I’m proud of my record working with local officials and frontline responders to combat the abuse of prescription painkillers, expand access to care and make our community a safer place to live, work and raise a family. In the Senate, I am committed to expanding BadgerCare, improving access to mental health care and reducing costs for state taxpayers. I’m not afraid to take on the special interests and hold drug manufacturers accountable for their role in the opioid crisis. My unique experience in this area and ability to work across the aisle can help break through the partisan gridlock and deliver results for Wisconsin residents.”

It’s clear that Patty Schachtner is the candidate we need in Senate District 10. To learn more about Patty and get involved on her campaign, visit her website: www.pattyforsenate.com. Her election is on January 16th, so act fast to help elect a Democrat who is going to put people’s needs first.