Senate Pro Tem Reed: Proceeding with prison build-lease plan is Governor Ivey’s prerogative

Governor Kay Ivey’s prison plan, which includes three facilities, constructed in Escambia, Elmore and Bibb Counties with the State of Alabama leasing those facilities from a private contractor that will build and own them, has been met with skepticism from state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

However, last week, Ivey signed leases for two of the three facilities the day before the 2021 legislative regular session began without any formal action proposed by the Alabama Legislature to prevent her from proceeding.

During an appearance on this week’s broadcast of APTV’s “Capitol Journal,” State Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed (R-Jasper) said he applauded the governor for getting out in front of the issue, given the lawsuit threat from the Department of Justice, and the time and effort put into the plan by the Ivey administration.

Reed said it was Ivey’s prerogative to proceed as she has but said the Senate would be making sure the budget for the project’s expenditures is appropriate.

“I think the issue with looking at the prison topic is one we’ve dealt with for years and years,” he said. “The issues with the lawsuits as far as what we’re suffering from as far as what’s happened already where we’re having to manage things — spending more resources to deal with that. You and I had an interview where we talked about the Department of Justice and their lawsuit against Alabama. So, is this a serious issue? No doubt. Do we have to make appropriate accommodations? We must. I applaud the governor for moving forward on a plan that looks at construction, that looks at adding additional opportunities for being able to manage the housing of prisoners in Alabama.”

“I will admit there have been Senate members that have had questions about the finances, about the methodology of being able to do this,” Reed continued. “Then again, this is the governor’s prerogative. She’s done a lot on the search. She’s looked at it carefully, and her team has moved forward with this as one of the solutions. I think there are other elements that the legislature is going to be thinking about as well. How do we manage our budgets, how do we manage our general fund budgets, making sure the budget for the Department of Corrections is going to be appropriate. In this discussion with the governor, much of their review has been that savings from overtime paid and the enormous cost of expenditures of maintaining old facilities will be the majority of the resources to pay for the new facilities. That’s what we’ve been told. That’s from the analysis, and I certainly expect that to be the case. I think the legislature is going to be looking carefully at that, in fact, is the reality moving forward.”

Reed also mentioned the possibility of judicial and prison reform efforts, which are underway in the Alabama House in the House Judiciary Committee chaired by State Rep. Jim Hill (R-Moody).

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.