Labor leaders at the state’s second-largest prison said they were not consulted on the plan to shut it down. They argued at the Capitol that this will harm public safety and corrections operations throughout Minnesota.

While state officials said the move to close the facility addresses longstanding concerns of safety with the prison’s conditions and saves the state more than $40 million annually, union leaders

If the plan is approved by lawmakers, the closure would phase in over four years with final closure set for June 30, 2029.