COEUR d'ALENE - Gov. Butch Otter signed legislation Wednesday that would pay for a new mental health crisis center in North Idaho.

It is the second year that the Legislature has agreed to provide funding for a regional center to treat individuals experiencing mental health or substance abuse crises.

Last year it was determined that Coeur d'Alene had the greatest need for the facility, but a decision was made to locate the facility in Idaho Falls because Kootenai County's legislative delegation voted against the funding bill for that facility.

This year only Reps. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens; Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d'Alene; and Ron Mendive, R-Post Falls, voted against the funding bill.

This year Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d'Alene, crafted language in House Bill 264 to ensure the facility is located in either Region 1, which is the five northern counties, or Region 2, which is the Lewiston and Moscow area.

"I can tell you that Region 2 is not going to apply for it this year," Malek said, adding the Department of Health and Welfare will begin siting the project right away.

It is not guaranteed to come to Coeur d'Alene, but Malek said he is not aware of any other inquiries or applications for the project from Region 1.

Otter's eventual goal is to establish crisis centers in each of Idaho's seven Health and Welfare regions.

"As I said in my State of the State address in January, this is part of a sustainable, long-term commitment to helping our communities better address the financial and public safety challenges posed by drug and alcohol abuse or individuals' mental health problems," Otter said in a prepared statement. "I'm grateful to the Legislature for recognizing as I have that it is less expensive and does more good when citizens experiencing these crises have somewhere to go other than our hospital emergency rooms or local jail cells."

A total of $1.72 million for a new crisis center was included in an appropriations bill for the Division of Behavioral Health Services at the Department of Health and Welfare. It was approved unanimously by the Senate and passed the House 58-9 before going to the governor's desk, where it was signed today.

"We know that providing these services is costly. But in the long run, it costs much more to lock people up or warehouse them somewhere when life's challenges become overwhelming," Otter said. "Our goal is to address these crises as close to home as possible and restore our neighbors, our friends and our family members to their full, productive potential."