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Minnesota State Workers Prepare For Layoffs

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- We are exactly one month away from a state government shutdown if Gov. Mark Dayton and state lawmakers can't agree on a budget.

About 800 state employees were supposed to start getting layoff notices on Wednesday as the government prepares for a July 1 shutdown, but that didn't happen. They, along with about 35,000 other employees, will get notices on June 10.

The workers getting notices are state troopers, conservation officers with the Department of Natural Resources and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension officers. All are in a union that requires layoff notices by certain dates, even if the shutdown doesn't happen.

They would be out of a job temporarily, but employees deemed crucial -- like state patrol officers -- could be kept on during a shutdown.

Ted Bowl is a physical therapist at the Veterans home in Minneapolis, and said they have a lot of expenses this summer, and he's not sure how they will make it.

"We have the added expense of two weddings to take care of this summer for a son and a daughter, so we are looking for opportunities to save wherever we can," He said.

Jan Thomas and her husband both work for the state, and they're both very concerned.

"Very apprehensive. Both my husband and I work for the state, so it's affected us twice as much," she said.

Governor Mark Dayton and Republican leaders are scheduled to meet Friday morning, for another attempt to resolve the budget stalemate.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Susie Jones Reports

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