Suicide prevention is not a partisan issue. New taxes can be.

And that’s where House Bill 2757 is caught.

It’s a bill that would put a tax on phone lines and other communications services of 50 cents a month. It would be like the $1.27 monthly tax people pay for 911. The new money would go to bolster suicide prevention in Oregon.

Democrats have been supportive. Republicans have not. Republicans have talked about looking for alternative funding. Passing a new tax takes a three-fifths majority of the Legislature and Democrats don’t have that.

The suicide rate in Oregon in 2020 — 18.3 per 100,000 population — was the 13th-highest rate in the country. There were 833 people who committed suicide in our state.

Oregon has a new 988 suicide and crisis lifeline that launched in July 2022. It’s like dialing 911 but for suicide prevention. It’s available 24-7. Trained people are waiting to help people in suicide crisis and with substance use. You can call 988. You can text 988. You can chat online at 988lifeline.org. Except for the chat, it’s available in English and in Spanish, and there are other interpretation services.

911 sends help to people. 988 is about counseling and — it works. “In Oregon, 988 resolves or de-escalates nearly 97% of calls over the phone,” the state of Oregon says.

The Legislature funded 988 with enough to get the program started. It needs money to keep it going.

The plan is that the 50 cent tax would be enough not only to keep 988 running but also support mobile crisis teams that can respond in person. Police respond to suicide calls and people in substance abuse crisis. They do their best. But it would be better to have trained crisis counselors able to respond in more instances across the state.

The bill, of course, creates a new tax when many Oregonians are struggling with inflation.

The most important thing is to ensure 988 is able to continue in Oregon to improve the ability of the state to respond. This bill does not have to be the answer. There does need to be an answer.