State Rep. Don Pridemore, R-Hartford, proposed Friday to partially solve the state’s budget deficit by letting government workers take the day off.
The proposal would allow unpaid leave for all state employees, which could potentially save $45 million, Pridemore said in a statement.
Pridemore said employees who qualified for it, including lawmakers, could take up to three days of unpaid leave.
The plan, Pridemore said, is voluntary and would include only employees on the state payroll.
“I thought this was a way to show that all state employees, who are mostly protected from these budget shortfalls, that they become part of the solution instead of part of the problem,” Pridemore said.
Exceptions would be made, Pridemore stated, for certain positions that need to remain fully staffed, including correctional officers.
According to an analysis of the plan by the state Legislative Fiscal Bureau, which analyzes state finances, police officers for UW System campuses and the Capitol would not be affected by such a proposal.
The plan, according to Pridemore, does not mandate a department that already has a crucial shortage of employees to participate in the proposal.
Pridemore said he received support for the plan from several Republicans in the Legislature, but not from many Democrats.
“This [plan] would solve about 10 percent of the budget shortfall, and 10 percent is better than nothing,” Pridemore stated.
Bob Lang, director of the state LFB, said there were other plans similar to Pridemore’s proposal in the past during times of budget shortfalls.
Lang also said he agreed certain state positions likely must remain fully staffed, like workers at centers for the developmentally disabled or medical facilities.
Lee Sensenbrenner, spokesperson for Gov. Jim Doyle, said the governor is still pushing for a budget repair bill, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the Legislature to pass a bill and then send it to the governor.
“If there’s not a budget repair bill in the near future, you are going to see increasing problems pile up in August and September,” Sensenbrenner said.
