A bill to appropriate $750 million for the construction of a 3,000-bed prison in Arkansas advanced Thursday after a committee vote.
Senate Bill 354 had been largely inactive since it was submitted to the Joint Budget Committee on March 3. However, on Thursday, the committee approved the bill, sending it back to the Senate floor for further consideration.
In the previous legislative session, $75 million was allocated for the prison, which is expected to have a total cost of $825 million.
Last week, an amendment was proposed to create a temporary $1 billion fund to cover construction costs and any potential overruns. The proposal was intended to be reviewed by the Joint Budget Committee’s Special Language Subcommittee. However, the amendment failed to advance after it did not receive the necessary support during a hearing earlier in the day.
During the Joint Budget hearing, several lawmakers voiced concerns over the project, including issues related to planning, the cost of building infrastructure such as roads and wastewater treatment facilities, and the challenges of staffing the facility. Some lawmakers estimated that staffing costs could exceed $40 million annually.
Supporters of the bill argued that the state needs additional prison capacity to address overcrowding in county jails.
The bill, which is an appropriation measure rather than a funding proposal, passed with 17 votes from Senators and 16 from Representatives in the 55-member committee. The bill is not on the agenda for the Senate’s afternoon session.
The legislature is on spring break next week, and will not be in session on Friday.
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