Furlough Battle in the House
Republicans in the state House failed in efforts to force to a head the issue of potential furloughs of about 25,000 state employees. The GOP caucus fell one vote shy as they worked to advance legislation that would declare the entire state work force critical and therefore immune to being furloughed if the state has not enacted a new budget by the time the fiscal year ends June 30.
"All we're trying to do is to avoid laying off 25,000 workers and taking away their ability to feed their families," said Rep. John M. Perzel, R-Philadelphia. Republican leaders cried foul when they realized Democrats moved the bill — which had been amended to allow workers to be paid out of the Rainy Day Fund — off the floor.
"We should not worry about furloughs today — we should solve the budget problem today or tomorrow or the next day and then there will not be any furloughs," said Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene. (Senate Bill 1122)
"All we're trying to do is to avoid laying off 25,000 workers and taking away their ability to feed their families," said Rep. John M. Perzel, R-Philadelphia. Republican leaders cried foul when they realized Democrats moved the bill — which had been amended to allow workers to be paid out of the Rainy Day Fund — off the floor.
"We should not worry about furloughs today — we should solve the budget problem today or tomorrow or the next day and then there will not be any furloughs," said Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene. (Senate Bill 1122)
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