Budget crisis means pay cut for some state workers

SPRINGFIELD -- Nearly 4,000 Illinois government employees will lose four days of pay because of state budget cuts, Secretary of State Jesse White announced Monday.

Facing $26 million in cuts, White ordered all 3,900 of his employees to take four unpaid days off.

"What this does is allow us to keep all the facilities open and keep layoffs to a bare minimum," said White spokesman Dave Druker.

He said a decision should be made soon about how many people will lose their jobs.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich slashed spending by the secretary of state and many other government offices to help close a budget gap of roughly $2 billion. As a result, the state's child-welfare agency is cutting back, state parks and historic sites are closing, and hundreds of employees could be laid off.

Of the money cut from the secretary of state's budget, $18.5 million was for personnel. The unpaid furloughs -- which affect White's pay along with everyone else's -- will cover "the vast majority" of that cut, Druker said.

Employees must take two unpaid days off this year and two during the first half of 2009. Druker said they hope to avoid any disruption in handling driver's licenses, license plates and other duties.

White is not the only statewide official forced to take action by the governor's cuts.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan asked older employees to retire and made nonunion workers pay an additional 1 percent to their pensions. Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias cut six of his office's 190 jobs and ordered others to take one or two furlough days, depending on their salary, GateHouse News Service reported.

Other officials have said they're reviewing how to handle the cuts.