During Thursday night's Minnesota House floor debate, Rep Debra Hilstrom, DFL-Brooklyn Center, offered an amendment to ban private prisons in Minnesota. Rep. Tim Miller, R-Prinsburg, engaged in a moment of self-pity for the City of Appleton and himself.
The response to Miller's statement that the opposition to the plan to lease the prison was about having something against Appleton or him was rebuked swiftly by two of his colleagues.
First, Dan Schoen, DFL-Cottage Grove, who grew up in Miller's district, rose to object, explaining what the objections were that he had raised in community, including trying to find alternative economic development--and the way in which CCA itself had left Appleton behind by closing the prison.
Next, Hilstrom rose to explain that she's been carrying legislation to ban private prisons for years, long before the freshman from Prinsburg came to St. Paul.
Here's Miller's moment of self pity over the Hilstrom amendment and part of the response.
Here's a lightly edited (pre-meeting mingling is removed) video meeting with "those people" in North Minneapolis again. We are impressed with Miller's willingness to meet with people in North Minneapolis, but a bit taken back by his representation of it on the House floor:
The Hilstrom amendment failed. Tom Cherveny reports in the West Central Tribune article, Reopening of Appleton prison still alive after Minnesota House vote:
A proposal that would reopen the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton took its biggest step forward to date.
The Minnesota House of Representatives approved an omnibus bill early Friday morning that includes an amendment by Rep. Tim Miller, R-Prinsburg, to reopen the 1,600-bed prison. The amendment requires the state to contract to operate and purchase or lease to own the privately owned Prairie Correctional Facility.
“I can’t say we’re always moving forward by leaps and bounds, but what’s been remarkable and I’m very thankful for and I’m very encouraged by, this whole thing always continues to move forward,’’ said Rep. Miller when reached by phone Friday. . . .
Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, has expressed his opposition, and it’s his committee which would need to hear the bill, Koenen explained.
Gov. Mark Dayton has also said he would veto legislation to reopen the facility.
The House action to include Miller’s amendment assures the prison measure is alive for debate when a House and Senate conference committee is formed later to rectify differences in legislation from the two chambers.
In short: behind closed doors.
Photo: The prison in Appleton.
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