Furlough bill treats Washington's state employees differently than comparable states

The state employee furlough bill may be on a fast track for passage, but it was exposed Tuesday as making state employees the sacrificial lamb in the budget debate.

And the furlough plan is unprecedented when compared to sacrifices inflicted on state employees in 16 other comparable states, Federation Executive Director Greg Devereux told the House Ways and Means Committee Tuesday (Jan. 26).

Devereux told the budget writers that SSB 6503 “is predicated on cuts and furloughs first, then votes on a broad revenue proposal. We do not see that broad revenue proposal on the horizon and it feels like state services and state workers are going to bear the brunt of this recession.”

“SSB 6503 contemplates more extensive furloughs than 16 other states that are comparable to ours,” he said. “None of those other states have taken health care cuts and furloughs. We would be the only state among them.”

If furloughs are implemented, they should be focused on higher-paid employees, like those in the Washington Management Service and the exempt service, he said.

State employees have sacrificed much already, yet billions in tax breaks remain untouched, Devereux said.

“Since 2000, this Legislature has passed 154 tax exemptions -- 27 percent of the total tax exemptions in this state -- totaling $3 billion. I would imagine some of those are excellent, they create jobs but some of them probably could be furloughed or suspended temporarily to bridge us through this period.

“In the end, the root cause of this Great Recession really is middle class wage stagnation. Certain sectors of our economy got fabulously rich while the rest of us were treading water.

“Laying off state workers, furloughing state workers, cutting the health care benefits of state workers, will only lead to further stagnation and economic harm to our communities. The answer is shared sacrifice by spreading the revenue needs for our citizens across as many people as possible rather than continuous cuts to specific groups.”

The committee is expected to vote on SSB 6503 today. So, call 1-800-562-6000 and urge your two House members to vote NO! on SSB 6503. Its unintended consequences will cost more, not less.