Governor Pushes Prison Construction During State of the State

   Alabama’s aging and overcrowded prison system was the central focus of Governor Robert Bentley’s State of the State address last night. He urged lawmakers to pass his 800 million dollar prison construction plan that would build four new prisons while closing most of the current facilities. Bentley says the consolidation would alleviate the cost of the bond issue. Not all lawmakers are on board, worrying that the cost of the prisons will outweigh the savings. The governor also trumpeted the state’s pre-kindergarten program, calling for another 20 million dollars to be directed to the effort. He also drew applause when advocating for a feasibility study to see if the state sales tax on groceries can be removed.