State politicians were in Superior today to reassure people that the Challenge Center…and other places like it…will not be closed. Rich Kremer reports.

State Senator Bob Jauch and State Representative Nick Milroy say there’s no way the state is pulling the plug on vocational services for people with developmental disabilities.

Every five years states have to submit a waiver to the Federal Department of Health Services to get money for work training programs for people with disabilities. Though the official waiver hasn’t been sent yet, a draft containing different language caused advocacy group Rehabilitation for Wisconsin to raise the alarm. Jauch says the part scaring people the most regards how long people can receive the services.

“It was that change to time limited period from defined period of time that frightened people that that meant that after six months services would end, the support would no longer exist and the jobs would be eliminated.”

Jauch says the second point of contention surrounds an accidental omission of who chooses what type of services a client receives.

“The fact is that both of those areas are going to be modified.

Roy Breezee of Superior has worked at Bay Produce for 19 years. Like many with the Challenge Center, he’s worried that federal funding could dry up.

“I really, truly, enjoy my job. Life wouldn’t be the same if Bay Produce was snatched away or taken away like that. I enjoy picking the tomatoes and sweeping pepper rows in the west range greenhouse whatever it may be and I hope that I’ll get to do that for many years to come.”

State Representative Nick Milroy says all parties want to help people with disabilities find work.

“Everybody has the same understanding, there’s just some concern about the language. So, that language was shared on Friday with the Department of Health Services and we expect to be working with them over the course of this week to see if we can’t get that language implemented in the definition.”

Jauch and Milroy say the new waiver will not include any significant changes from previous ones.

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