Kansas lawmakers are reviewing a plan from the governor that would tear down a state prison and let a private company build a new one, which the state would then lease back.
A House committee has taken an initial step towards approving the proposal to tear down and replace part of the Lansing Correctional Facility in northeast Kansas.
However, some lawmakers raised concerns, prompting House Appropriations Committee Chairman Troy Waymaster to promise a public hearing.
“I think it was just only prudent that we go ahead and schedule a hearing. Everybody can air their concerns, their questions, their comments and we can move forward with the project because I think it’s one that we definitely need to have done,” Waymaster says.
Supporters say a new facility would be safer and require fewer corrections staff. Waymaster says he wants lawmakers to have oversight, but he says the governor’s administration could go forward with a construction project without legislative approval.
