A bill to close the state’s troubled Lincoln Hills youth prison appears to be on shaky ground. It passed the state Assembly on a unanimous vote, but Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald tells the Associated Press he has “a ton” of questions and concerns.
WRN asked Governor Scott Walker about that, last week. “I think most of the time when Senator Fitzgerald talks about things, it’s not his personal concern, it’s oftentimes what he’s hearing from others.”
It’s now up to Senate Judiciary Committee chair, Senator Van Wanggard, to try to address those concerns. “I think once the Senators see what is in this bill, I think they’ll have a better understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish,” Wanggard said. The bill would close Lincoln Hills by 2021, with less violent offenders moving to county-run residential care centers.
Wanggard’s committee will hold a public hearing on the bill Tuesday. Governor Walker says he’s confident the Senate will pass it next month.
