LINCOLN, Neb. (KMTV) — Nebraska lawmakers have been pursuing a new prison for several years. Wednesday, they debated a budget that leaves open hundreds of millions of dollars, which could eventually be used for a new prison to replace the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln.
While this bill wouldn’t technically spend $175 million on a new prison, it moves the money out of cash reserves and into a construction fund that could eventually be used to construct a new prison, something many lawmakers vocally opposed.
“We cannot build ourselves out of this,” said State Senator Terrell McKinney, who’s been the most vocal opponent in the Nebraska Legislature of a new prison.
Lawmakers like Omaha Senator Wendy Deboer pointed to a chart, showing that even with a new prison, Nebraska will have more than 1,000 inmates over operating capacity by 2030.
She wants a plan.
“We have got to figure out a way to make our growth in our prison population slow down,” said DeBoer.
Other more liberal lawmakers agreed.
“We refuse to look at the issues of overcrowding and building a new prison,” said Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks.
The Unicameral will soon debate a large criminal justice reform package that, in part, would reduce sentences as well as add to probation and diversion.
Senator Steve Lathrop, who sponsors the bill and is not a vocal supporter of a new prison, says the bill — along with a new prison — could solve the problem.
“It would effectively flatten our rate of growth and if we did that and built a new facility, it would be out of an overcrowding emergency, I believe,” said Lathrop.
A few conservative lawmakers spoke up in favor, including Ben Hansen, who said he’d be willing to pass lower sentences if a new prison went along with it.
“When it comes to Nebraska, I think that also needs to be in conjunction with building a new jail. I think we need a new jail, a new prison,” said Hansen.
Senator Tom Brewer says he occasionally visits prisons and said the facilities are small and need a lot of work, leaving him open to a new prison.
“If everything about it makes their life better, I struggle with the idea that we will stay with what we have because at some point we have to build a new prison. We can’t let what we have degrade to a point where their life is miserable,” said Brewer.
Lawmakers are expected to vote on the budget sometime Thursday morning.
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