This is a grave mistake — Reps. Travis Couture and Joshua Penner speak out against House Bill 1472 | House Appropriations Committee
In a deeply emotional and urgent exchange, Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Joshua Penner, R-Orting, deliver final remarks in the House Appropriations Committee opposing House Bill 1472—a measure that would close Washington’s Residential Habilitation Centers (RHCs), specifically Rainier and Yakima Valley Schools, within 18 months.
Couture, speaking from personal and professional experience, warns that “people will die as a result of this bill” and pleads with lawmakers to consider the real human cost, not just the fiscal impact.
Penner follows, reinforcing the bill’s lack of a real plan and reminding the committee that “shutting this down without a plan will haunt you.”
Both lawmakers emphasize that this is not just a policy debate—it’s a life-and-death decision for some of the state’s most medically fragile and profoundly disabled residents.
