LINCOLN — Nebraska’s Corrections Department director faced a string of tough questions, and a line of opponents, during a Thursday hearing on the proposal to build a $230 million prison.

While Director Scott Frakes said chronic overcrowding and aging facilities require the “tough” decision to build a 1,600-bed maximum-medium-security facility, legislators, as well as advocates for sentencing reforms, questioned the need for such a costly construction project when crime rates are falling.

State Sen. John Stinner of Gering, who chairs the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, which weighs budget requests, grabbed his throat and said flatly that he had “a gag problem” with such a request. “That’s a lot of money,” he said. “And it’s a lot of ongoing money.” The prison might be the most expensive complex ever to be funded by state tax dollars, and would require about $34 million in annual operating expenses.

“I may be convinced by the right information, but I’m not there yet,” said Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln. Frakes responded “We can’t afford to wait and see if other options come forward.”

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