COEUR d'ALENE - Funding for a $1.7 million mental health crisis center for North Idaho passed the full House, with three Kootenai County legislators voting against it.

The funding is part of the Department of Health and Welfare's $36.7 million budget.

Rep. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d'Alene, said she has been voting against all appropriations bills that include pay increases and money to cover the increased cost of state employee health insurance.

"Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for their health insurance increases," Sims said, explaining that all other Idahoans have to pay for their own health insurance increases.

Sims joined Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens; and Rep. Ron Mendive, R-Post Falls, in voting against the bill, which passed 58-9 with three absent.

Mendive said he wasn't necessarily opposed to the Mental Health Crisis Center. His vote was against increased spending in the overall budget.

"My vote was a protest vote. It was going to pass anyway, so I decided to vote 'no,'" he said. "The overall budget is 4.8 percent higher than last year's budget."

Mendive said the state needs to start cutting spending, but that doesn't appear to be happening this session.

As far the Mental Health Crisis Center goes, Mendive said he isn't opposed to the project.

"I still don't understand how it is going to save any money," Mendive said. "But enough people have told me that we need it, so I am OK with it."

Sims, on the other hand, said even if the crisis center was a standalone bill, she still would have voted against it.

"I don't support it the way it is written," she said.

Sims said the facility only allows voluntary admission to the facility, and patients can only stay there for 23 hours.

She said she doesn't understand how police are going to stop incarcerating mentally ill patients who need to be locked up, because they cannot be incarcerated at the crisis center.

She doesn't believe the center could make much of a difference if patients can only stay 23 hours.

"If they want to change the way the law was written, then maybe I could support it," Sims said.

Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d'Alene, championed the bill and said nobody came to him with any options to fix those problems in the bill.

He was pleased to see it passed with so much support.

"It is going to save so much money," Malek said, adding the savings will come from fewer police and emergency room holds for the mentally ill.

Rep. Eric Redman, R-Athol, said after he did some research on the project, he voted for it.

"I think that is an important project for North Idaho," he said. "I kind of looked at things myself and I made my own decision to vote on this one."

Rep. Don Cheatham, R-Post Falls, said he voted for the crisis center too.

"I see that as a need for North Idaho," Cheatham said. "I also think of the Veterans Home as a need for North Idaho. I support both of them."

The Idaho Falls crisis center was funded last year and another center is expected to be funded next year. Coeur d'Alene scored the highest need for the first center, but a political decision was made to build it in Idaho Falls instead.

Malek said this appropriations bill includes specific intent language indicating that the center will be located in North Idaho, which could be anywhere in Region 1, which is the five northern counties, or Region 2, which is the Moscow and Lewiston area.

"I am not aware of anyone challenging the North Idaho location yet," Malek said, adding they would have to submit an application to be considered. "Nobody has done that yet."

Rep. Barbieri could not be reached for comment Tuesday.