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| Iowa House Budget Plan Omits New Prison |
| By The Des Moines Register |
| Published: 03/13/2006 |
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Money for a new maximum security prison in Fort Madison is not part of the budget the Iowa House began working to approve last week. The House will have considered about 20 percent of the proposed $5 billion-plus state budget for the fiscal year beginning in July. House Speaker Christopher Rants, a Republican from Sioux City, said there's not enough time left in the 2006 session to fully study the need to replace the aging Fort Madison prison. "There may be a case for building a new prison. There may be a case against building a new prison. But you ought to thoroughly look at that issue," Rants said. " . . . You don't make that decision based on the fact that two guys got over the fence." The high-profile escape of two prisoners late last year has fueled the debate over a new prison. House justice systems budget committee Chairman Rep. Lance Horbach, R-Tama, said money will probably be tucked into the legislation later that deals with state infrastructure expenses to study the need for a new prison. The Iowa House approved the first three major parts of 16 budget bills last week, which contain spending for about $230 million in programs. The legislation includes basically status quo amounts of money compared to this year's budget for the courts, economic development programs and the agriculture and natural resources departments. The economic development budget, House File 2459, includes a $250,000 increase from this year's budget for Iowa's tourism industry to help promote Iowa attractions. It does not include the $50 million needed to fully pay for the Iowa Values Fund, the state's top economic development program. Money for that program will be dealt with later. The courts will also see about $13 million from legislation to be considered later in the session. |
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