Rep. Joshua Penner: “Why are we using the budget to talk about this?” – The fight to save Rainier and Yakima Valley Schools | Floor speech to Amd 937 on Senate Bill 5167 (operating budget)

April 1, 2025

In this powerful and deeply personal floor speech, Rep. Joshua Penner, R-Orting, urges support for Amendment 937 to the 2025-27 operating budget (Senate Bill 5167), which would protect funding for Washington’s Residential Habilitation Centers (RHCs), including Rainier School and Yakima Valley School.

Penner speaks soberly—but passionately—about the real consequences of defunding RHCs without a clear, actionable plan. Sharing harrowing stories of individuals with profound disabilities and their families, he highlights the critical role RHCs play in providing specialized care that community-based settings are often unequipped to handle.

“This budget assumes a lot,” Penner says. “But what it doesn’t assume is the very real danger of removing vital support without something better in place. That’s a recipe to kill people.”

Key themes through his speech include:

▪️The complexity and diversity within the disability community

▪️Real-life experiences of families impacted by RHC closures

▪️Data and examples from other states where similar closures led to increased death rates

▪️A call for thoughtful, long-term planning rather than last-minute budget decisions

Penner’s message is clear: this isn’t just about dollars—it’s about lives.