State House News Service
BOSTON - The 160 memvers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and their aides were instructed yesterday to take five unpaid furlough days between now and the end of the fiscal year next June, House officials announced.
The cuts, which House leaders hinted at during budget debate Wednesday, come as state government looks to pare back its spending as revenues slump.
In a rare joint press release, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and House Minority Leader Bradley Jones, R-North Reading, said the furloughs would result in roughly $620,000 in savings, and noted savings of nearly $603,000 had been returned to the General Fund this fiscal year and more than $2 million in fiscal 2009.
The House and Senate on Wednesday restored $18.8 million in unexpended funds for work on the State House, over the objections of Gov. Deval Patrick.
"It's not easy out there for anyone and I think we all need to sacrifice, which is why I'm doing the furlough," said State Rep. Barry Finegold, D-Andover.
Finegold said he declined a pay raise last year that was granted to state representatives.
