Murt Calls for Special Session to Combat Opioid Abuse
HARRISBURG—Rep. Thomas Murt (R-Montgomery/Philadelphia) joined a bipartisan majority of his colleagues in combating Pennsylvania’s devastating opioid crisis by calling for a special session of the Legislature.
Gov. Tom Wolf has endorsed the plan.
“Deaths from opioid abuse have been staggering families throughout our Commonwealth, but it has had a shattering impact in the communities of Philadelphia,” Murt said. “This problem cuts across all age groups, economic sectors and racial demographics.”
Under Article IV, Section 12, of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the governor can convene the General Assembly “on extraordinary occasions” by proclamation. When the General Assembly is convened in a special session, its members can only consider legislation on those subjects designated in the governor’s proclamation. Just 34 such sessions have been called in Pennsylvania history.
“This is the kind of crisis that requires a special session,” Murt said. “Too many families have already been crippled by it. The special session will allow us to better focus on putting measures in place to defeat the problem.”
While opioids have provided relief to those who previously suffered intolerable pain, the use, overuse and abuse of this class of drugs cost thousands of lives and the Commonwealth more than $12.2 million in hospitalization costs annually as of 2012, according to the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council.
“The only way to battle this problem is to proceed in a bipartisan way,” Murt said. “The families of Pennsylvania are depending on us.”
Representative Thomas P. Murt
152nd District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: David Foster
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