Bill endorsed to close Boulder developmental center

HELENA (AP) – State senators have endorsed a plan to close over the next two years the Montana Developmental Center in Boulder.

By a vote of 41-8, senators passed Senate Bill 411 on second reading Saturday.

The proposal would create a committee to design a specific route to fully closing the center on July 1, 2017. It would reduce the number of clients housed there by the end of 2016.

Democratic Sen. Mary Caferro of Helena says recent cases of assault and sexual abuse justify transferring all clients to community-based settings.

At a hearing on Monday, supporters told stories of abuse that have left them wondering if people will ever be safe at the Boulder center. Opponents of the bill say there’s no other facility in Montana that can provide court-ordered, specialized care for developmentally disabled adults.