Sen. Gary Stubblefield told a small assembly on Jan. 3 in Charleston that he doesn’t think the Arkansas Senate will have enough votes to continue the 3,000-bed prison project in Franklin County.
“To build this thing, it’s going to have to have a lot more money than what they got set aside for it,” said Stubblefield. “To get that money, they’ve got to go into the general fund. I’ve spoken with the 17 senators, who told me they will vote no. So, I’m not sure we’ll have the money for this.”
The 95th General Assembly begins on Jan. 13.
Stubblefield and Dr. Chris Jones were invited to speak at an event the Franklin County and River Valley Coalition set up at the Charleston Community Center. Stubblefield, who represents parts of Franklin, Logan, and Johnson Counties, is one of the senior members of the state legislature. Jones, co-founder of VortexPAC, ran in opposition to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in 2022. He is currently running for the vice chair of the DNC.
“Contact your representatives and tell them your stories,” Jones said. “Get on committees to testify. If you can’t make it, send someone else with your notes, but let the legislators know how you feel about this and what this land and community means to you.”
State legislators usually vote to transfer the land from the Development Finance Authority to whichever state department needs it. However, the Department of Corrections recently circumvented the state legislature by leasing the land from the DFA for $1 a month.
The Arkansas legislature has already earmarked $470 million for the prison project, but some consider the estimate too conservative. Franklin County citizens and their representatives like Sen. Bryan King have asked the governor’s office for transparency or how they think they can build the prison for that amount.
Other estimates, based on prisons of similar size built in nearby states, have a price tag of $1.5 billion. Concerned citizens also stress that there’s no existing infrastructure to support the building of such a project, like electricity, water, sewer, and roads, which could balloon the cost even more. This also doesn’t consider the $76.7 million a year that will cost Arkansas taxpayers to house 3,000 prisoners. Stubblefield said it currently costs Arkansas $70 a day to house one prisoner in the state system (3,000 x 365 x $70).
“I want you to know that we’re starting our legislative session in a couple of weeks, and this will be a major part of it,” Stubblefield said. “We’re talking a billion dollars here. That’s a lot of money, and we don’t want to start something we can’t finish. I’m going to stay with you until the end of this thing. I’m not going to give up. I’m pretty bullheaded, myself.”
“What we need in these moments in these times… to everything, there is a season, and we’re in a season when bullheadedness is required,” said Jones. “The coalition that you have put together matters. You need to fight against this project for a number of reasons, but it matters because folks are watching. Whether they say it or not, they’re watching. They’re watching power and you coming together. They’re watching how you treat each other and taking notes.”
Sen. Stubblefield said the situation could have been avoided or contained if the governor’s office had initially contacted him or any other representatives.
“As the representative who represents you, because we work for you, I would have set up a town hall meeting and have the people up here who are over these different agencies answer your questions. I don’t think they have the answer to anything. I’ve been on the phone with them all week. I ask a question, and you know what their answer is? ‘That’s a good question.’ And they still don’t have an answer,” said Stubblefield. “I want you to understand something. I work for you. I work for the people of Johnson, Logan, and Franklin Counties. I don’t work for the governor, and I don’t work for the rest of the senate.”
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: ‘I work for you’: Stubblefield seeks transparency in prison debate