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Gregoire OKs state employee furloughs

Gregoire OKs state employee furloughs

Governor Gregoire has signed legislation ordering many state employees to take 10 unpaid days off during the coming fiscal year – possibly starting on July 12. The furlough bill, Senate Bill 6503,  gives agencies some latitude for avoiding the “temporary layoffs” mandate.  Many agencies are exempt, such as parks, highways and ferries, pris0ns, social and health programs, and workers who make money for the state, such as liquor store and lottery employees.  Employees who make under $30k a year are exempt. …

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Light at end of tunnel for lawmakers

Light at end of tunnel for lawmakers

Time runs out Tuesday on Washington’s 30-day special session of the Legislature – and the Democratic leaders believe they’ve pretty well nailed down agreement on an $800 million tax package and a budget rewrite. Rank-and-file lawmakers have been back in their home districts for nearly all of the special session that Governor Gregoire called on March 15.  House Speaker Frank Chopp of Seattle, Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown of Spokane and budget and finance negotiators, along with the governor and…

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State employee furlough plan clears Senate

State employee furlough plan clears Senate

The Washington Senate has approved a “furlough” bill that would require state agencies to cut employee costs by over $69 million through temporary layoffs and other actions over the coming months. The move would affect over 110,000 state government and higher education employees. The Senate vote was 27 to 17, with only Democrats in favor, despite the vehement opposition of the labor unions.  House Speaker Frank Chopp spoke favorably of a furlough plan this week. The plan that passed the…

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Furlough days: new plan for 16 days of ‘temporary layoffs’

Furlough days: new plan for 16 days of ‘temporary layoffs’

Senate budget Chairwoman Margarita Prentice has introduced a plan for closing state agencies one day a month for the next 16 months, as a way of cutting costs as the state deals with a multibillion-dollar budget crisis. Prentice, a Renton Democrat, outlined  in Senate Bill 6503  introduced on Friday, specific closure days starting with Friday, March 12, and lasting through June 10, 2011. Most of the closures would be Fridays, as California currently does, giving state workers a long weekend, and…

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