Neither the Assembly nor the Senate is imposing the mandatory employee furloughs required of most other state workers, but both legislative houses announced plans to cut spending Tuesday.
The Assembly will trim its budget by 10 percent this year, transferring about $15.1 million to some of the state's most underfunded programs, including fire protection, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass said in a written statement.
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg proposed that a voluntary furlough program be created for Senate employees rather than the mandatory two unpaid days monthly imposed on most state workers by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Steinberg, in a written statement, said he also will ask the Senate Rules Committee to reduce spending and to cut staff, the latter by an unspecified goal to be attained by the end of 2009.
The belt-tightening responds to a projected state budget shortfall of about $40 billion over 18 months.
"During these difficult economic times, spending reductions must be shared by everyone," Assembly Rules Committee Chairman Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, said in a prepared statement.
Steinberg's announcement about a voluntary furlough program follows decisions by all six Democrats holding key statewide offices, from controller to attorney general, not to impose the governor's mandatory program.
The governor's office does not control personnel decisions involving the Legislature and constitutional officers.
Steinberg previously has said the Senate will "share the pain" by cutting expenses to meet the state's fiscal crisis, but he never specifically has agreed to meet the 10 percent threshold requested by Schwarzenegger and committed to by the Assembly.
Alicia Trost, Steinberg's spokesman, said proposals for voluntary furloughs and staff reductions are being sent by Steinberg to the Senate Rules Committee without specific parameters or recommendations for savings to be achieved. The committee will make those decisions, she said.
Shannon Murphy, Bass' spokeswoman, said she knew of no plans to require Assembly furloughs or to impose specific staff reduction goals. Within the Speaker's Office specifically, 14 positions have been cut in the past six months, Bass announced.
Photo: Senate President Pro Tem, Darrell Steinberg and Speaker Karen Bass, head into Gov. Schwarzenegger's office for a big 5 meeting to discuss the budget crisis on Jan.12, 2009. Credit: Brian Baer/Sacramento Bee
@Nyx.CommentBody@