SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Two-thirds will be in focus Tuesday in Pierre at a special session of the South Dakota state legislature.
Lawmakers will consider legislation that approves a new men’s prison in Sioux Falls for $650 million, but for the bill to arrive on Gov. Larry Rhoden’s desk, it needs the support of two-thirds of legislators in both the House and Senate. Some lawmakers cite the status of the current penitentiary when explaining their motivation to vote a certain way.
“My biggest concern is that we are overcrowded,” Republican Sen. Tamara Grove of Lower Brule said Friday. “We are massively overcrowded in our prison that’s now 144 years old, and that is dangerous.”
“We need to deal with this issue,” Republican Sen. Helene Duhamel of Rapid City said Friday. “We’re a lawsuit waiting to happen. It’s not humane, it’s not offering the rehabilitation anyone wants. It’s time. It’s a good plan, maybe it’s not the best plan.”
“It’s just an inhumane environment and we’ve been needing to do this for a very long time,” Democratic Sen. Liz Larson of Sioux Falls said Friday. “That’s the number one reason that I’m voting for it.”
Grove, Duhamel and Larson are all supporters of the proposal as of Friday. But Republican Sen. John Carley of the Piedmont area sees it differently. He says the recidivism rate has to drop.
“That’s why again we think policy and rehabilitation should be addressed first,” Carley said Friday. “Work programs, faith-based programs.”
Rhoden announced Wednesday a plan for a Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force, something Carley welcomes. But as of Friday, Carly is not backing the legislation to build a new prison.
“At this point, be a no, but I would love to be a yes if we can get the task force to address our Department of Corrections problems first, and then I think a lot more people would be willing to join on,” Carley said.
For her part, Republican Rep. Bobbi Andera of Sioux Falls has concerns with the number of beds that can house maximum security inmates.
“Right now I am not convinced that that is what Sioux Falls needs at the present time,” Andera said Friday. “I am willing to look at other options, but right now I’m not convinced.”
Two-thirds in the 35-member Senate means the legislation will need 24 supporters in that chamber. In the 70-member House, 47 supporters are required.
“I think that there’s a lot of people that were a fairly firm no, that are now thinking you know what, maybe this is the right decision,” Grove said.
“Two-thirds is a high threshold, and it should be,” Carley said. “It should be a high threshold, especially for an expenditure of this size, and for as significant a decision this is. So, will it hit it, I’m not sure, I think it may be close.”
“It’s definitely going to be tight,” Larson said. “It’s definitely going to be close.”
“I think it’s going to be close,” Andera said. “I think it’s going to be close.”
Republican Rep. Greg Jamison of Sioux Falls, who as majority whip in the House assesses how much support a bill has, told KELOLAND’s Dan Santella Friday night that he believes the proposal will clear the two-thirds thresholds in each chamber.
