Committee approves extra protection for security hospital employees

Rep. Jack Considine Jr. (DFL-Mankato) used to work at the state security hospital in St. Peter. During his time there he sustained broken ribs, a knee injury and had six pairs of glasses broken.

“No one was ever charged in any of those instances,” he said.

Approved Tuesday by the House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee, HF783 would provide for an enhanced penalty for anyone who assaults a direct care worker at the facility.  

Rep. Tony Cornish (R-Vernon Center), who sponsors the bill, said workers there have been assaulted at “a high rate, probably one of the highest in the nation.”

The bill next awaits action by the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee. A companion, SF1120, sponsored by Sen. Kathy Sheran (DFL-Mankato), awaits action by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“One of the reasons that has been given for not prosecuting this crime against these people is that the county attorneys don’t think it’s a serious enough charge, or that they’re not taking it serious enough to have an enhanced penalty,” Cornish said. “This would bring it up from a misdemeanor to a felony.”

Ethan Vogel, a legislative representative with AFSCME Council 5, said the bill has union member support. “They believe this is a step in the right direction toward zero tolerance or violence in the workplace.”

Cornish said some perpetrators would argue their mental condition as a reason for an attack, but he said many of the attacks are methodically planned out and executed.

“I would argue the case that anybody that commits a serious crime could be argued to be mentally ill,” he said. “I’d like to be able to at least charge these people or be able to bring it to the county attorney and let the county attorney and the courts decide if it was planned or a case of mental deficiency.”