Furlough quiets Capitol

Furloughs took effect for state workers at about 50 state agencies, commissions and boards on Monday. They inconvenienced a few out-of-state travelers in Olympia and others caught unaware by the shutdowns.

Drew Leeham and his in-laws showed up at the Capitol after traveling all the way from Grand Forks, N.D. They were hoping for a guided tour of the stately Legislative Building but could not wait a day for tours to resume because they were heading out to the coast today.

“It’s disappointing. We traveled from out of state. I wanted to show my wife’s family,” Leeham said. Instead, the former Lacey-area resident who graduated from Timberline High School had to rely on his own memories of the building from guided tours as a child.

Despite the inconvenience, Leeham and his relative, Ken Van Eps of East Grand Forks, Minn., said they were in favor of the furloughs — if they actually saved jobs.

Under Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6503, the temporary layoffs idle up to a third of the state government and college work force, or potentially 35,000 people. The furloughs are expected to save $38 million in general-fund payroll and $73 million overall including other funds, and Senate Democrats who pushed for furloughs said they were better than layoffs.

The Washington Federation of State Employees has challenged the legality of the furloughs under labor contracts it has with the state. But a judge recently refused to block the furloughs while the case is pending.

The legislation has exemptions for public safety workers such as prison guards and State Patrol troopers and for tax-collection staff and liquor store employees.

Agencies are allowed under the bill to find alternatives to closing down on 10 separate days through June 2011. And workers earning less than $30,000 a year are able to cover their lost days of work using vacation pay.

Gov. Chris Gregoire’s office was closed entirely, but many agencies — typically those headed by independently elected officials or operated by boards — have found other ways to cut payroll, and they remained open Monday.

UPSET TOURISTS

So while Leeham’s family members wandered the Capitol, they were able to go into the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, the Office of the Secretary of State and the state Treasurer’s Office, if they wished.

Bernadette Griffin, executive receptionist at the Secretary of State’s office, said a few people wandered in — including a couple from Israel. Griffin had expected more people to ask for directions and information.

Another tourist, Maria Rivas, was with her fifth-grade son, Miguel. She said she was disappointed at not getting a tour because the boy planned to use his experience for a school paper.

Rivas is from the Los Angeles area and is familiar with California’s use of furloughs. She said it might make sense for people not traveling, but “we came here and expected to have the tour. I think it’s important for education to have tours open.”

LIGHTS OUT

Across the Capitol Campus, the state’s largest agency — the Department of Social and Health Services — was shuttered. In the Highways-Licensing Building, the Department of Licensing was closed, but the Attorney General’s Office was open.

And in the Natural Resources Building, most Department of Agriculture workers were gone for the day, while the Department of Natural Resources remained open.

“It is what it is,” shrugged Dwight Moody, an information services worker at Agriculture who is taking turns with a co-worker on furlough days. “It’s more making a statement than actually saving (money).”

“I just think everybody should have to take the furlough days,” added Bob Danielson, who works for the DNR in the surveying division. “I think they should shut everything down.”

The next general furlough day is Aug. 6.

Brad Shannon: 360-753-1688 bshannon@theolympian.com

Note: This story was revised to clarify that the furlough savings overall is $73 million, including $38 million in payroll costs paid out of the general fund and $35 million from other funds.

This story was originally published July 13, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Furlough quiets Capitol."