furloughs

HARRISBURG -- Let the budget politics begin.

Republican leadership blasted House Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia) for playing politics with people's lives after his committee Tuesday afternoon amended and then approved a bill that could prevent the state from furloughing nearly 25,000 "non-essential" state workers.

The committee unexpectedly considered the bill, Senate Bill 1122, hours before state Rep. Jerry Nailor (R-Cumberland County) was set to call for a discharge motion to bring it before the House.

But Evans and other Democrats on the committee amended it before approval. The changes would allow lawmakers to access nearly $750 million from the state's rainy day fund, a reserve designed to help during difficult economic times, to pay state employees if a budget isn't passed by July 1.

The House Appropriations Committee this afternoon unexpectedly amended and then approved a bill that would allow the state to temporarily retain roughly 25,000 state employees if a budget is not passed by July 1.

It would allocate $20 million of the state's rainy day fund, a reserve designed to help during difficult economic times, to pay for the state's "non-essential" employees.

Republicans, who almost unanimously opposed the bill, are already complaining it also gives Democrats access to nearly $725 million in Pennsylvania's rainy day fund.

They say today's passage is little more than a political stunt to fool the general public into believing Democrats are trying to remove the threat of furloughs.

Tuesday in Harrisburg will help decide whether the threat of furloughs will hang over budget negotiations.

State Sen. Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin County) will hold a hearing of the Senate State Government Committee to discuss Gov. Ed Rendell's recent statements that he would be forced to temporarily lay off tens of thousands of state workers earlier this year than last. The committee, which Piccola chairs, will question Naomi Wyatt, secretary of the Office of Administration.