Security hospital layoffs worry lawmakers
by The Associated Press

ST. PETER -- More than 50 security jobs at the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter are expected to be cut due to a budget crunch. 

That has some lawmakers worried, because the hospital houses the mentally ill and sex offenders and it's near the Gustavus Adolphus College campus. 

The Department of Human Services says there will be two rounds of cuts of department jobs around the state because the department overspent by $15 million. 

On July 16, 63 jobs will be cut at the St. Peter facility, 16 at the Anoka-Metro Regional Treatment Center and 14 more spread throughout the state. 

State Senator Kathy Sheran, a DFLer from Mankato, sits on the Health and Human Services budget committee. 

She says it appears the cuts won't compromise treatment or the security of patients, but she still wants the department to delay the layoffs until after they can have a public meeting about them.