A screen shot of Washington State Sen. Ann Rivers (R) speaking during a virtual meeting and public hearing held by the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee on March 24, 2021.
Screenshot / Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee
Washington state Sen. Ann Rivers publicly used a derogatory word for people with developmental disabilities on Wednesday. She apologized hours later.
Rivers, R-La Center, sat in on the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee that morning to advocate for a bill that could change local health districts in the wake of the pandemic.
After a fellow lawmaker raised a question about whether the Legislature will make room in the budget for some of the bill’s proposals, Rivers chimed in that lawmakers would be foolish not to.
“There’s no way (it) doesn’t get funded this year,” said Rivers, who leads the Senate Republican Caucus. “We would have to be (expletive). Or idiots. Or something if we didn’t fund that.”
The senator’s phrasing surprised groups that advocate for people with disabilities, such as the Washington Developmental Disabilities Council and The Arc of Washington State. Her comment was first reported by a journalist from The Chronicle, the daily newspaper in Lewis County.
Adrienne Stuart, of the Washington Developmental Disabilities Council, said Rivers’ comment was an “inarticulate and careless slip.” She said the Republican senator has a record of advocating for policies to help people with disabilities.
“I in no way want to minimize the harm it causes when elected officials use these kinds of words,” Stuart said. “The critical thing for us is that there’s recognition and a desire to grow and learn and do better.”
The groups said they didn’t intend on seeking any further consequences directly related to Rivers’ comment.
Shawn Latham, executive director of Allies in Advocacy, who has a disability, said hearing that word in any context is difficult.
“I would say about the R-word that, for a long time, people without disabilities used the word to put people with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities down,” he said. “While some people still use it for medical reasons, it’s very hard to hear anyone say it.”
He added: “Especially in today’s climate, with everything going on with social justice, I think we really need to be respectful of all human beings.”
Rivers, who is a former middle school teacher, said Wednesday night in a text message that she regretted her remark. She did not respond when asked if she will be taking questions.
“Even though I used those words to refer to members of the Legislature, and no one else, I immediately regretted that I didn’t find a better way to express myself about a subject that is very important to me,” she said. “I’m deeply sorry and sincerely hope anyone who was offended will forgive me.”