Budget cuts lead to layoffs in Secretary of State’s office
Madison Stuerman
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
More than 20 state employees in the Secretary of State’s Office were laid off on Friday.
According to a spokesperson, 17 full-time employees from the Archives and 5 full-time employees from the State Library were let go.
A letter from Secretary of State Denny Hoskins that was shared with employees still employed stated this was due to recent legislative actions and budget cuts to the office.
“After exhausting all currently available alternatives, we have been forced to make the painful decision to reduce staffing in certain divisions,” Hoskins said in the email. “These decisions were not made lightly and do not reflect the value or dedication of those impacted.”
The Missouri Senate and House passed House Bill 12, which includes 25 full-time employee positions cut from the Secretary of State’s Office.
Conference Committee documents show no other elected officials had positions cut from their budget, except one other position from the Lieutenant Governor’s office.
The Secretary of State’s Office now has 194 employees as of Monday.
Hoskins was elected in November after defeating Democratic candidate Barbara Phifer.