PIERRE, S.D. (SDBA) — The South Dakota House rejected a bill Friday that would have transferred $148.1 million toward a new men’s prison in Lincoln County, voting 34-35 against the measure.
House Bill 1025, stripped of its original construction authorization through an amendment, would have added funding for the proposed $825 million facility planned between Harrisburg and Canton.
“We’ll have roughly $790.1 million available for the prison project, but we have separated the funding from the construction while we analyze and discuss the overall project,” amendment sponsor Rep. Jack Kolbeck, R-Sioux Falls, said.
Rep. Will Mortenson, R-Pierre, defended the spending.
“This prison isn’t a want, it’s a need,” he said. “I’d much rather be giving this money back to taxpayers, but we need to build this facility.”
Rep. Aaron Aylward, R-Harrisburg, voiced concerns about the site selection.
“Some folks woke up one morning, read in the newspaper that this thing was going in their yard, and they’ve been fighting it like crazy,” he said.
Rep. Peri Pourier, D-Rapid City, questioned whether the state should examine the root causes of incarceration.
“We don’t have enough money to feed our kids in the summertime,” she said. “They are hungry, they are trying to fill their own way out, and what does that look like?”
Rep. Mary Fitzgerald, R-Spearfish, cited public safety concerns regarding recent violent crimes.
“No one wants to build a prison, no one wants to spend the money, but I’m sorry, people continue to hurt other people,” she said.
Rep. Liz May, R-Kyle, emphasized fiscal constraints.
“We argue back and forth here over a few million dollars for this and a few million dollars for that,” she said. “I really don’t want to build a billion-dollar prison.”
The Department of Corrections requested the new facility to replace the aging state penitentiary in Sioux Falls.
The amended bill would have freed up approximately $34 million to fund other needs in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
The legislature is approaching one of its most important deadlines–“Crossover Day.” Tuesday, all bills from the house of origin must be passed or killed. This deadline puts additional pressure on legislators to devise a solution or compromise on prison funding.
Bill supporters asked for reconsideration of the measure on Monday.
