Twenty-three wards of the state will remain at the Murray Developmental Center in Centralia, at least for now.
That's the result of a judge's ruling. A federal lawsuit is seeking to block the state from closing Murray Center. Governor Pat Quinn ordered it and other state facilities closed last year as part of an effort to save the state money.
The lawsuit has delayed the transfer of more than 200 residents of Murray to other community based care facilities. Plaintiffs argue they won't get the care they need elsewhere. But, 23 of the residents are wards of the state with no parents to advocate for them. The Belleville News Democrat reports a judge on Wednesday postponed a ruling on whether they can be included in the lawsuit.
