Haridopolos: Prison privatization bill will get more vetting

TALLAHASSEE — Only a day after Senate President Mike Haridopolos’ office decided that a prison privatization plan would get only one full legislative hearing, it is backtracking and saying it will now also get a full vetting before the influential Senate Budget Committee. Here’s his just-released memo: After hearing questions and concerns from my fellow Senators in the Senate Committee on Rules regarding Senate Bill 2036, I have decided to proceed in an abundance of caution. This bill, if reported favorably out of the Senate Committee on Rules on Monday, January 23, 2012, will be referred to the Senate Committee on Budget to be heard on Wednesday, January 25, 2012. However, I do want to be clear that I stated and addressed my position on prison privatization on numerous occasions. In the fall, I issued a memo after asking staff to take an in-depth look at this issue and ensure that our approach to prison privatization was both thoughtful and transparent. Staff found

that the language was fully vetted in the previous session as illustrated by the attached and below chart, and because this language was passed on the Senate floor last year, it was eligible to be expedited through the process this year. I also authored an opinion piece stating my position that it is paramount that we prioritize our state’s spending by privatizing prisons, which has the potential to save a minimum of 22 million taxpayer dollars that I firmly believe are better spent on education, health care and economic development. Finally, I held a media availability where the majority of the time was used reiterating and expressing my support for prison privatization efforts. With that in mind, I believe that this additional committee reference will ensure a thoughtful debate on prison privatization, and I am hopeful that this will alleviate any concerns my fellow Senators may have.

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Haridopolos: Prison privatization bill will get more vetting

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