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Roughrider Industries’ proposal to sell directly to state employees draws support and business‑community concern
Summary
The Senate Industry and Business Committee heard mixed testimony on SB2066, which would allow the Department of Corrections’ Roughrider Industries to sell products directly to state employees; supporters emphasized workforce and recidivism benefits while the state’s largest business association warned of unfair competition with private firms.
The Senate Industry and Business Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2066, which would permit Roughrider Industries — the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s manufacturing program — to sell products directly to state employees.
Rick Gardner, the program representative, told the committee Roughrider Industries operates manufacturing workshops inside state correctional facilities and emphasizes job skills that reduce recidivism. He said the program is self‑funded and faces higher raw material and security‑related operating costs that private manufacturers do not, and that the program’s main product is its trained workers. "Our actual product is…
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