PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Larry Rhoden praised lawmakers who helped shape his $650 million prison plan Tuesday but left House Speaker Jon Hansen off his public thank-you list.
Rhoden, addressing a joint session of the Legislature, named six House members who served on the prison task force. Hansen’s name was not among them, even though it appeared in Rhoden’s prepared remarks released earlier in the day.
Hansen has declared for the Republican nomination for governor. Rhoden has not yet declared. The other two candidates are businessman Toby Doeden and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson.
The omission came one day after Hansen announced he would vote against the plan, citing opposition to providing health care for transgender inmates. The state Department of Corrections says it is awaiting clarification from the federal courts before setting policy on the issue.
The prison plan would replace the 144-year-old penitentiary in Sioux Falls with a 1,500-bed facility in the city’s northeast. Rhoden said the project is the largest public safety investment in state history and would triple programming space for vocational and treatment services.
As of mid-morning, the Senate-House Select Joint Committee was considering the bill. It requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers to pass.