Rep. Patrick Rose pushes for overhaul

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Over 450 cases of abuse and neglect were uncovered in Texas state schools by the Dept of Justice. Rep. Patrick Rose is the chair of the committee that is in charge of overhauling the current state school system for the mentally disabled. After a Department of Justice investigation revealed more than 450 cases of abuse and neglect in Texas' 13 State Schools in 2007 alone, lawmakers are now compelled to fix the problem. Rose, along with Representative Rodney Ellis, look for sweeping changes this year in state schools that will remain open of the 4,900 in the state right now.

Rose admits that currently, we are violating the constitutional rights of state school residents’ who are in need safe conditions. He warns that the people in state schools right now are not safe and that an emergency bill is necessary to reconstruct the disastrous condition of the current system. The emergency bill is also making sure that everything is being done to promote safety in schools. The bill increasingly encourages employees and parents to report abuse directly to the state.

A related bill focuses on a longer term look at the system as a whole to create a better balance of community and institution. This bill will look to offer a choice that does not exist right now. Families will have the option to withdrawal from a state school and go elsewhere. Representative Rose feels that the Texas government is failing the public until the option to leave is offered.

Along with the 450 cases of abuse and neglect discovered, 53 cases of preventable deaths occurred in 2007. Lawmakers work quickly to prevent dangerous situations for those who are in state schools.