Washington Democrats are threatening to close Rainier School, a habilitation facility for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They’re doing it under the guise of fiscal responsibility.

House Bill 1472 would require Rainier School to close by the end of June 2027. It’s part of the Democrats’ half-baked cost-saving measures. However, State Representative Joshua Penner (R-Orting) said closing the school would be deeply irresponsible.

“There’s no plan of action to provide support in the community for these people,” Penner told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH. “When they did this in other states, people died, hundreds of people. It is not hyperbole to say people are going to die because there is a lack of community support for these people outside of these RHC facilities [Residential Habilitation Center].”

To the Republican lawmaker, this issue is deeply personal.

“It’s nothing I ever expected, but two of my kids have profound special needs, and one of them would be right in the zone for needing to be in a facility like Rainier School,” he explained. The thought of closing a place that has been so helpful for residents is painful.

Why are Democrats trying to close Rainier School?

Penner contends that there is an effort to distort what these facilities are really like.

“The rhetoric around this is that these RHCs provide institutional care, and I think they’re trying to paint a picture that it’s some Dickensian facility from the 1960s where you have Nurse Ratched taking care of everybody…These are exceptional situations,” said Penner.

So why would Democrats try to prevent care for such a vulnerable population? Penner suggests that there may be an ulterior motive at play, and the Democrats are engaging in a sort of legislative brinksmanship.

“It’s just this really weird rhetoric. I think it’s all designed around raising taxes,” said Penner.

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