By Keith M. Phaneuf and Mark Pazniokas
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy today signaled an intention to lay off state employees in the current fiscal year, saying the workforce must shrink substantially, and that the process must begin before the fiscal year ends on June 30.
Malloy, who spoke to reporters after a meeting with legislative leaders, chose his words carefully when pressed about the scope of coming layoffs, referring to the damages the state had to pay over former Gov. John G. Rowland’s mishandling of layoffs a dozen years ago.
“I don’t want to give to some future governor the Rowland problem, right? So those numbers are being worked out, and we have to dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t,’ but they’re substantial,” he said.
The governor was referring to about 2,800 pink slips the Rowland administration issued in late 2002 to help close a major state budget deficit. Unions sued in federal court, and the settlement reached 11 years later will cost the state an estimated $100 million to $125 million. It was structured to minimize the fiscal impact on the state by compensating a majority of the plaintiffs with extra vacation and personal days, not cash.
