Furloughs To Close State Agencies Friday

Furlough Day Intended To Save State $10.5 Million

 

POSTED: 10:38 am EDT May 21, 2009

UPDATED: 8:31 pm EDT May 21, 2009

 

A cost-cutting move by Connecticut means a four-day holiday weekend for thousands of state workers and a shutdown of some services for state residents.

 

Friday is an unpaid furlough day for most of the 55,000 state workers, which is supposed to save the state $10.5 million.

 

Some key agencies won't open for the day. The state Department of Motor Vehicles, the Attorney General's Office and the Department of Environmental Protection and other state agencies will be closed from Friday until Tuesday.

 

However, job seekers will still be able to look for work at centers in Waterbury, Danielson, New London, Norwich and Willimantic.

 

However, state parks will be open for the start of the summer and the Memorial Day weekend.

 

And Hartford resident Janice Hill said her husband works for the Post Officer and said there have been no talks about furloughs there.

 

A spokesman for the governor said crucial public services such as prisons, state police and state-run residential facilities will be open.