A joint legislative committee advanced Governor Larry Rhoden’s $650 million men’s prison plan on Tuesday, 13 to 2, after extended testimony on cost, size, and inmate care.
Lieutenant Governor Tony Venhuizen, who chaired the summer prison task force, urged approval. He said the state can fund construction with cash that past legislatures and the executive branch set aside, avoiding interest costs from bonding. Venhuizen told members the current penitentiary in Sioux Falls is outdated and that delaying construction would raise costs and prolong safety concerns.
Rep. Jamie Smith supported the bill. He pointed to the plan’s long-term design and expanded programming space for education, treatment, and vocational training. Smith said the goal is to reduce recidivism and return people to communities better prepared to work and live successfully…