At the same meeting, the committee heard from Tim Deweese of the Johnson County Mental Health Center and the city's Mental Health Advisory Committee, which presented five priority topics for state legislative consideration and local coordination.

Deweese said the advisory group will continue to push for effective mental‑health parity — aligning mental‑health treatment expectations with those for physical illnesses — while recognizing much of the work requires state action and implementation detail beyond local authority. He told the committee the 2025 legislative session is likely to focus on the state budget and said many of the committee’s items may be more active in 2026 or 2027.

The advisory committee identified social‑media impacts on youth and the increasing role of artificial intelligence in therapeutic tools as areas to monitor and potentially regulate. On AI, Deweese said the county uses "augmented intelligence" to help clinicians but emphasized clinicians must remain the final decision makers and warned of unregulated AI offering fabricated references or unverified advice.

The committee also described an "armory" pilot project in which volunteer federally licensed firearms dealers temporarily hold firearms from individuals in crisis; Deweese said such programs are being advanced with liability protections and legislative partners because more than half of suicides in Johnson County involve firearms. He added the county has distributed about 5,000 gun locks since starting the program a year and a half ago and offers safes to clients.

The advisory committee recommended that the city use its platform to create pathways for local comment and bring specific recommendations to council as state proposals arise. The committee said it will provide more specific legislative language as needed and continue to coordinate with county and state partners.

What happens next: the advisory group expects to return with language and examples to the committee and recommended the city incorporate that feedback into next month’s platform review.