Rep. Schrier and the Fentanyl Roundtable with Local Elected Officials, Law Enforcement, First Responders, and Community Members

Wenatchee- On Friday August 18, Representative Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) hosted a roundtable discussion regarding fentanyl in Chelan County with Chelan County Commissioner Kevin Overbay; Wenatchee Valley Fire District Fire Chief, Brian Brett; Wenatchee School District Superintendent, Kory Kalahar; Chelan Douglas Health District Deputy Director, Kristen Hosey; Chelan Douglas Health District Regional Emergency Response Coordinator, Kent Sisson; Wenatchee Police Department Chief, Steve Crown; Center for Drug and Alcohol Treatment Director, Loretta Stover; Chelan County Sheriff, Mike Morrison; and Director Chelan County Regional Justice Center, Chris Sharp. Following the event, Congresswoman Schrier addressed her work to combat this crisis.

Overdose deaths have tragically skyrocketed in Washington state. As a physician and a mother, Congresswoman Schrier understands the severity of this crisis and shares the concerns of parents throughout Washington state. In Congress, Rep. Schrier has worked to address the fentanyl crisis in Congress by:

• Voting for the HALT Fentanyl Act, which passed the House of Representatives and designates fentanyl as a Schedule 1 drug.

• Cosponsoring the Invest to Protect Act, which became law last year and increased funding for small law enforcement departments. 

• Signing onto a letter advocating for increased funding for border security. This year alone, federal agents have seized more than 19,000 pounds of illicit fentanyl at the border, already totally more than CBP intercepting in all of 2022. Representative Schrier joined her New Democrat Coalition colleagues in signing this letter. 

• Introducing the bipartisan ALERT Parity Act, which would increase connection to emergency services for rural communities. Access to emergency services is critical in medical emergencies such as overdoses. This bill passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. 

• Hosting town halls dedicated to informing parents and teens about the dangers of fentanyl and how to stay safe. 

• Hosting a series of fentanyl roundtables to gather feedback from community members and local experts throughout the Eighth District.