Proponents, Opponents Brush Up Arguments Over Thomson Prison Sale

Opponents and supporters of a plan to move up to 100 alleged terrorists to Illinois from Guantanamo Bay are preparing to address the first state legislative hearing on the issue.

Around 50 people are scheduled to testify at Tuesday's hearing before the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.

They include labor union officials who say selling the Thomson Correctional Center to the federal government to house detainees will create hundreds of jobs.

Opponents scheduled to speak include conservative activist Beverly Perlson. She says U.S. Naval detention center in Cuba has worked well and that there's no good reason to bring prisoners to the small northwestern Illinois community.

The hearing is at a high school auditorium in Sterling, which is southeast of Thomson.