Governor's order cuts state worker pay

SANTA FE (KRQE) - Gov. Bill Richardson Thursday announced unpaid furloughs for 19,000 state workers as part of an executive order to trim a $650 million budget deficit.

He also used his veto power to ease the budget cuts lawmakers passed during a special session of the Legislature called last month to deal with the budget crisis.

Richardson claimed lawmakers went too far with their 7.6 percent cuts for state agencies. So he reduced the spending cuts by more than half.

However a legislative leader later said the governor's actions only delay some tough choices until legislators convene their regular session on Jan. 19.

Then he delivered the bombshell: five-day furloughs for most state workers. The unpaid time off will save an estimated $11 million.

Workers will have to take that time off sometime over the next seven months. Richardson took the action by issuing an executive order.

“The difference between the measure I vetoed and my executive order is that I considered previous cuts and took a more targeted responsible approach in making additional cuts,” the governor said.

Richardson said his moves will fill $470 million of the budget hole for this year.

He let stand $87 million worth of education cuts but restored $11 million to the Department of Corrections.

“We would have had to close two state prisons and release 600 inmates to realize that savings,” Richardson said. “That’s something as governor I was not willing to do.”

The governor’s order also restored $12 million to the Human Services Department saving programs for the mentally ill and the elderly.

The governor's biggest savings plan was freezing $150 million worth of construction projects.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, said he doesn't think the governor did enough. Lawmakers may have to make even more painful cuts in January, he added.

“Those furloughs could be extended,” Smith said. “Furloughs, and I hate to use the word layoffs, but that could be expanded.”

Lawmakers had wanted the governor to get rid of more than 100 political appointees added to the payroll after he took office. Richardson agreed to cut 84.