Monday on Huntsville radio’s WVNN, Rep. Christopher England (D-Tuscaloosa) elaborated on his criticism of Gov. Kay Ivey’s $900 million prison plan proposal she unveiled last week.
England sounded off on social media about the proposal, arguing that it failed to address overcrowding given it just replaced old beds with new ones. He also said it left questions about the Tutwiler women’s prison unresolved.
According to the Tuscaloosa Democrat, the Ivey administration was “hellbent” on building new facilities.
“[J]ust to be frank, if you start talking about alternatives, that doesn’t fit the narrative,” England said. “They’re so hellbent on building new facilities that they’re ignoring reasonable alternatives. Not only just reasonable alternatives for the system and the most effective usage of taxpayer dollars, but also if we’re talking about the political minefield the legislature is, these are ideas and plans that could actually work and actually get bills passed, and create the ability to bond the money.”
England referenced former Gov. Robert Bentley’s failed attempt in 2017 to get a plan for new prisons through the state legislature, and argued that was not reason enough to attempt to try again in this upcoming legislative session.
“You know, everybody cast the legislature in such a bad light because they rejected Bentley’s plan over and over again,” he said. “But we don’t have to accept that Bentley’s plan is actually the best one. As a matter of fact, the legislature is supposed to vet it. And while the prison plan itself made it through the Senate several times, it got killed in the House because they kept taking Tutwiler out of it, which again is our worst facility.”
“I think the legislature has done its job in terms of rejecting bad plans,” England continued. “Now clearly, it is our responsibility to take this on and do something about it. If I were Governor Ivey, I would challenge the legislature to do that. Say, ‘This is my plan, and this is how much it’s going to cost. If you got a better one, pass it. But if you don’t do it by a date certain, I’m just going to have to go forward, and the failure will be on you.’”
“But I think putting forth a reasonable plan that actually puts an effective dollar amount in how much you want to borrow on the problem itself, can get through the legislature,” he added. “I’m pretty sure of it. It’s just really hard to tell people, ‘I need three new prisons,’ and not tell you where they’re going, not tell you what’s closing, not addressing Tutwiler, and also putting us in debt for 35 to 40 years.”
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University, the editor of Breitbart TV and host of “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN in Huntsville.
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