FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) — Residents of Polk State Center continue to be transferred to other state-operated facilities according to a statement from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. The Derrick reported that as of Friday, the center was down to 112 residents under their care.

(Pictured above: Polk State Center on October 17, 2022. Photo by Gavin Fish.)

Efforts by legislators to prevent or delay the closure of Polk Center since its announcement in 2019 have been unsuccessful. Senate Bill 924, sponsored by eight Republicans led by State Senator Michele Brooks, passed out of the upper chamber and was delivered to the state House of Representatives last December. So far, the full House hasn’t taken up the legislation. The bill, if passed, would institute a moratorium on the scheduled closing of Polk and White Haven State Centers by amending sections of the Mental Health and Intellectual Disability Act of 1966, according the Senate’s website.

House Republicans pushed the bill through committee, passing along party lines. The legislation has been “laid on the table” since June 28th, meaning it’s on House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff’s desk. It’s unclear why the bill hasn’t been brought to the floor for a vote.

DHS Secretary Teresa Miller announced the closure of Polk and White Haven State Centers in a media release in August of 2019. According to the release, the closures reflected the Wolf Administration’s priority on reducing reliance on institutional care and to improve access to home and community-based services. The closures were expected to take three years. The announcement was not welcome news for many in the community.

“This is the wrong decision, on the wrong day, for the wrong reasons,” said Irene McCabe, whose sister resided at the Polk State Center at the time. “There is nothing about this decision that is right. It’s insulting, rude, and ignorant. These people (who made the decision) are supposed to be skilled at relationships and communication and foreseeing what the problem is and have a channel for a solution. They put the announcement out too soon. I don’t know why they felt they had to do it that quick. They weren’t ready. Everybody knows it doesn’t make sense.”

At a September 2019 rally, Venango County Commissioner Albert “Chip” Abramovic said in support of keeping Polk Center open, “Today we stand united. Today we stand as one. Today we stand unified. We stand unified for those families and those loved ones who are at Polk Center, those individuals who don’t have a voice, those individuals who you care for, those individuals that are part of our community.

“No one else can speak for them, but we can. We can be that one voice together, that one voice to lead a charge to save their home. That one voice, unified together, to make an impact for those individuals that can’t be heard and aren’t listened to.”

SB 906, which also sought to initiate a moratorium on the State Center closures, was passed by the State Senate in November of 2019. An amended version was passed by the House in January of 2020 and re-passed in the Senate later that month.

Governor Wolf quickly vetoed the bill, and legislators were unable to override the veto.

“All people deserve the opportunity to live among their family and peers in integrated, supportive homes. Quality home and community-based care should be the priority for the individuals we serve,” Wolf wrote in his veto message.

“Community care results in better outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities should be offered an everyday life as fully integrated members of our communities. My goal is to serve more individuals in the community, reduce reliance on institutional care, and improve access to home and community-based services.”

Gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro (D) has indicated a willingness to listen to the community regarding the closure of the center.

His Republican opponent, Doug Mastriano, has said he would keep the center open by executive order.