PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — Lawmakers have rejected a bill that would have scrapped South Dakota's presumptive probation policy for some lower-level felonies.

Senators voted 18-12 Friday against the measure, a priority for new Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg. Republican Sen. Stace Nelson asked colleagues to help authorities protect residents.

Presumptive probation requires judges to sentence people who have committed certain nonviolent, lower-level felonies to probation rather than prison, unless there's a "significant risk" to the public.

Ravnsborg says officials will continue to "fight the good fight" for South Dakotans with their current tools.

Legislative analysts predicted repealing presumptive probation would result in more people getting sent to prison, costing more than $53 million over the next decade.

Republican Sen. Arthur Rusch warned senators not to make the mistake of thinking that they could repeal presumptive probation and avoid building new prisons.

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