ST. PAUL — Gov. Mark Dayton says he’d veto a bill this year to re-open a private prison in western Minnesota.

The Democratic governor laid out his opposition Wednesday to using the Appleton facility to ease prison overcrowding. A House panel passed a bill to re-open the building on Tuesday.

Dayton says leasing the building from the corporate owner is not an option and buying it would be too expensive. He’s suggested expanding existing facilities and some sentencing changes to get a better handle on the state’s growing prison population.

But Dayton said buying the prison for an estimated $100 million or more may be a long-term option if needed.