Washington state employees start receiving warnings of furlough

OLYMPIA – Thousands of state employees in Washington received notice Tuesday that they may be temporarily laid off if a new state budget isn’t adopted by early next week.

The Office of Financial Management has estimated that more than 26,000 employees will receive the furlough notices, with the vast majority receiving notice by email Tuesday. The notices state that employees may not perform any work during the furlough, and will not receive any pay for any days that they are not at work.

Officials from the governor’s budget office have already released a contingency plan on what state offices may have to close completely if a two-year state operating budget isn’t signed into law before midnight June 30, when the current two-year budget ends.

David Postman, a spokesman for Gov. Jay Inslee, said the governor still believes a shutdown can be avoided.

“We don’t think anyone wants that to happen on their watch,” Postman said.

The Democratic-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate are in the midst of a second special session and have been in budget negotiations for several weeks.

Under the government shutdown contingency plan that is currently on the Office of Financial Management’s website, all of the state’s universities and community colleges would remain open. But agencies like the Liquor Control Board, state parks and state Lottery would face a complete shutdown, while others like the governor’s office, the Department of Social and Health Services, and Department of Corrections would face a partial shutdown. Among those offices that would remain open are the Department of Transportation, the Traffic Safety Commission and the Office of the Treasurer.