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Bill providing extra protection for security hospital workers heads to governor

Extra assault protection could be forthcoming to employees supervising and working directly with mentally ill and dangerous patients at the state security hospital in St. Peter.

Passed 121-6 Wednesday by the House, HF783/SF1120* would provide for an enhanced penalty for anyone that assaults a direct care worker at the facility. Its next stop is the governor.

Rep. Tony Cornish (R-Vernon Center) and Sen. Kathy Sheran (DFL-Mankato) sponsor the bill that was passed 40-23 by the Senate April 28.

“These people can already be charged with a crime, but we’ve heard from the county attorneys that it’s hardly worth messing with, it’s low level. … This allows them to be charged with a felony,” Cornish said. “They still have the right to go before a court and see if they’re competent to stand trial for this charge and gives the prosecutor discretion.”

“This is a good bill for telling the workers that we do care about them and they have our attention,” said Rep. Jack Considine Jr. (DFL-Mankato). He noted the bill does nothing to address staffing issues and other concerns of workers.

Ethan Vogel, a legislative representative with AFSCME Council 5, told the House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee in March that the bill has union member support. “They believe this is a step in the right direction toward zero tolerance or violence in the workplace.”

Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL-Rochester) does not support the bill.

“Criminalizing behavior by people who are mentally ill is absolutely ridiculous, and it actually goes opposite to the way that we’re trying to move in this state, which is not criminalizing people who are mentally ill,” she said.

Cornish said some perpetrators show clear intent by methodically planning and executing their dangerous actions.

“This is one more step in putting a deterrent in keeping these direct-care workers from being assaulted,” he said. “A number of people working in this institutions have been permanently disabled by the assault.”


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