Legislature's Finance Committee Scraps Governor's Prison Proposal
Wednesday, May 22nd, 2019 -- 12:39 PM
(AP) -Republicans on the Legislature’s finance committee have scrapped Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal to add new barracks at two Wisconsin prisons.Evers’ budget calls for borrowing $15 million to build three new 144-bed barracks, with two barracks at Jackson Correctional Institution in Black River Falls and one at Taycheedah Correctional Institution in Fond du Lac. The proposal comes as the state prison system continues to grapple with overcrowding. The finance committee is revising Evers’ budget before forwarding it on to the full Legislature. Republicans who control the panel shelved Evers’ proposals for adult prisons on Tuesday and introduced their own omnibus motion.
The proposal ratchets down prisoner population estimates, reduces the amount of money Evers set aside for prison worker overtime by about $7.3 million pending the outcome of staff retention and recruitment incentives and funds new health units at three prisons. The motion did not include the barracks. The committee approved the motion 11-4, with all four Democrats on the committee voting against it.
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