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When Kathy Opine watched helplessly as her son Jared was taken away in a police car, she saw firsthand the tragic flaws in Iowa’s mental health system. A new video from the Goldwater Institute reports on Kathy’s story.
Jared was in his early 20s, autistic, and intellectually challenged with an IQ of 54—a full-grown man with the mind of a troubled child. One day, for no apparent reason, he attacked his mother, and police were called.
A young, sick man went without the mental health care he needed—instead of a hospital bed, he went to a jail cell.
Iowa has a shortage of mental health facilities due, in part, to a law called “certificate of need,” which requires the government's permission to open any new treatment facility.
Since Iowa doesn’t have enough facilities to take care of people like Kathy’s son, it falls on law enforcement to pick up the pieces. “We are criminalizing our mentally ill,” one law enforcement official in Iowa said. Unfortunately, laws like these are on the books in 38 states, and Americans are suffering as a result.
A new video from the Goldwater Institute takes a look at Kathy’s story and how Iowa’s certificate of need law is criminalizing the mentally ill. Click here to watch the story and learn more.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw on Fighting for America, Standing Against Socialism
 U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas knows what it means to fight for America. Before his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, he served as a Navy SEAL for 10 years, fighting the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We at the Goldwater Institute are proud to welcome Representative Crenshaw to our Annual Dinner in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Friday, November 8. Buy your tickets online today.
Recently, Crenshaw spoke about the threat socialism and government control over our lives poses to America. Find out what Crenshaw had to say on our In Defense of Liberty blog.
Looking into a Brighter Future for our Nation’s Seniors
For many of our nation’s aging seniors, eye health can be among the most important health issues they face. It often means being able to see a grandchild’s face or being able to retain one’s independence though continuing to drive. It means not living a cloistered life.
While many eye conditions are treatable, too many Americans live in medically underserved areas and lack access to competent eye care. Fortunately, there is something that state lawmakers can already do to help alleviate this problem. Dr. Murray Feldstein, a visiting fellow in healthcare policy at the Goldwater Institute, explains in a new article on the In Defense of Liberty blog.
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