June 9th, 2008

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Republicans are angry with Gov. Rendell’s recent announcement that he will furlough all “non-essential” state employees by July 1st if the budget has not been passed.  The GOP maintains that this is not absolutely necessary and that Rendell is again using the tactic as leverage to get what he wants in negotations.

Last year Rendell didn’t furlough employees until July 9th.  However, in an earlier news conference he stated that he was moving the date up this year because of new federal court cases since last year that mandated the July 1st furlough.  On Friday, his Secretary of Administration Naomi Wyatt said Rendell must have “misunderstood the question” when he cited these new court cases.  She explained that the real reason Rendell moved up the furlough date was “increased concern about being fined by the federal government for paying noncritical workers without state appropriations in place.”

On Tuesday, Sen. Piccola is holding a State Government Committee meeting to question Administration officials about why this furlough is necessary at all. Piccola is the sponsor of legislation that would make all state employees “essential”, and therefore unable to be furloughed.  He states, “We are unable to find any court decision that says [Gov. Rendell] must make those designations.”