The Anchorage Assembly will consider a resolution to be introduced during Tuesday’s meeting by Assemblyman George Martinez that would have the city attorney explore the possibility of suing the State of Alaska over its handling of homelessness and behavioral health services.
The resolution highlights a public health and safety crisis in Anchorage, which Martinez blames on the State’s failure to provide adequate behavioral health services, as required by Article VII, Section 4 of the Alaska Constitution. Martinez, formerly with Occupy Wall Street and other leftist activities in New York City, asserts that the State has not maintained an effective behavioral health system, particularly in rural areas, resulting in widespread deficiencies in mental health and substance use treatment.
Anchorage has become a hub for behavioral health crisis response, his resolution says. The city bears a disproportionate burden managing issues such as homelessness and untreated mental illness that stem from statewide service gaps. Rural communities send their misfits to Anchorage, where they line the streets, doorways, and green belts, as they cope with their mental health, criminal habits, and illegal drug issues…