Rep. Wolgamott, Fellow Lawmakers Visiting State Prison

STILLWATER -- State Representative Dan Wolgamott, and some of his fellow House members, are going to prison. The Minnesota House Corrections Committee is making history by holding a hearing for the first time ever inside a prison.

Yep we'll be making history in Minnesota.  We're having a tour today (Friday) and then we'll be holding the committee meeting on Wednesday morning.  We want to get out and hear directly from the corrections officers about what's going on.  There's been an increase in attacks on corrections officers in recent years.

Wolgamott is the vice-chair of the committee. He says with the increase in attacks on the state's prison guards in recent years he'll be advocating for more funding so the corrections facilities can hire more staff. He says he's hoping for bi-partisan support to the legislation can move quickly.

Back in August, the Department of Corrections said a review indicated the need for 150 more officers across all facilities in Minnesota.

Other high profile committees the Wolgamott is on are the Capital Investment Committee, the Transportation Committee, and the Higher Education Committee.  He says he'll push hard to get state bonding money to help pay for renovations to the Municipal Athletic Complex in St. Cloud.  And, he says he's already spent a lot of time hearing testimony in the transportation committee on the hands-free while driving legislation.