Layoff notice rescinded for some Hennepin County employees

Nearly 130 people who received layoff notices from Hennepin County will likely be able to keep working, even if the state government shuts down at midnight.

The employees work at the county's seven service centers and process things like marriage certificates and vehicle license tabs. County officials initially thought they would need to close the centers but changed course after a ruling from a Ramsey County judge on essential services.

But the county could still layoff more than 1,000 employees who work in other areas.

County officials are determining which human services programs to maintain through a shutdown. While the court ruling protects federally-funded efforts, County Administrator Richard Johnson said the fate is less certain for some program areas. Jobs programs and money for homeless shelters will likely be affected.

"I wouldn't want to minimize that there's still a lot of clients who are going to be affected here that did not get resolved," Johnson said.