Senate Republicans Voluntarily Take Furlough Days through June 2010
1/26/2010

All Georgia State Senate Republicans are volunteering to take a furlough day a month for the remainder of the fiscal year. With these additional days, legislators will have taken a total of eleven furlough days in fiscal year 2010. The money will be returned to the State Treasury to help fill additional budget gaps.

“I want to thank each member of the Senate Republican Caucus for voluntarily signing the commitment to return portions of their salary back to the State. I’m proud to serve with my fellow Republicans that continue to put the State’s needs before their own and who serve Georgians with core conservative values of less spending and less government,” said Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock).

Legislators took one furlough day a month between August and December of 2009 and are now voluntarily agreeing to another day per month through the month of June. State Agencies have taken anywhere between 3 and 12 furlough days. The legislator furlough days will be in addition to the $3.08 million cut in appropriations the General Assembly voted to give itself in 2010 general budget, plus any potential further cuts that may be needed to balance the 2010 budget.

Senate leadership has worked diligently to balance the state budget by making the appropriate reductions in government spending and government programs. The General Assembly also returned $2.7 million in FY2009 surplus funds to the Treasury. This fiscal constraint has been noticed by the Bond rating agencies in New York, making Georgia one of only seven states to earn and maintain a Triple-A Bond rating. Georgia is one of the lowest taxed states in the nation and has the lowest dept per capita among the 50 states.