Illinois and Pa…not so different after all

SJ-R Exclusive: Constitutional officers considering layoffs, furloughs
Budget cuts put jobs on the line
By RYAN KEITH, STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted Aug 06, 2008 @ 05:11 PM Last update Aug 06, 2008 @ 11:42 PM
Two Illinois constitutional officers are considering dire options to deal with deep budget cuts, with one bracing workers for the possibility of taking several [...]

My hometown paper!

As my rotating internship continues, I have now moved to the Harrisurg Patriot-News.  It’s always nice to write for the paper your parents, grandparents and friends read!  Here’s my first story in the hometown paper!

State workers’ reactions
State workers received good news early Monday — state lawmakers and Gov. Ed Rendell had reached a compromise on [...]

A late night indeed

State budget remains unresolved
By John L. Micek and Kari Andren of the Morning Call
HARRISBURG — As state lawmakers and the Rendell administration worked through the night Sunday on the state budget, one senior negotiator said the two sides hoped to reach a ”handshake agreement” soon.
A top Republican Senate aide said the two sides are working [...]

Saturday’s state of the budget

State’s budget is not about the economy of time
By John L. Micek and Kari Andren
Morning Call– June 29, 2008
For the sixth year in a row, Pennsylvania will not have an on-time state budget.
But Rendell administration negotiators remained cautiously optimistic Saturday that they could still avert unpaid furloughs for tens of thousands of state employees — [...]

Rendell’s Rationale Under Fire

Pa. budget wrangles intensify
By Kari Andren
Inquirer Staff Writer
HARRISBURG – Senate Republicans yesterday challenged Gov. Rendell’s rationale for furloughing state workers in the event of a budget stalemate at the end of the month.Rendell has said that should the state fail to enact a budget by its June 30 deadline, “nonessential” workers would be furloughed starting [...]

Because We’re All Important

PA state Senate panel to hear from administration on furloughs
By Kari Andren
INQUIRER HARRISBURG BUREAU
HARRISBURG – The Senate State Government Committee will hear testimony today from Rendell administration officials about furloughing government workers should the state budget fail to be approved on time again.
Naomi Wyatt, secretary of administration, said Friday that without a budget in place, [...]