Gov. David Ige said Tuesday he is delaying the implementation of furloughs for state employees through at least July 1, 2021.
In an email tendered to state employees, the governor said following initial review that the $900 billion federal COVID-19 relief bill passed last week by U.S. Congress and signed into law on Sunday by President Donald Trump “provides enough direct support to programs in Hawaii that I am able to delay furloughs for executive branch employees until at least July 1, 2021.
The announcement comes a day after Ige appeared on a Honolulu Star-Advertiser Spotlight Hawaii program during which he stated his administration was still reviewing the bill and would announce a specific date in the future.
The furloughs, which had been due to begin Friday, were announced in early December as a means to save $300 million over a 12-month period, helping plug a $1.4 billion hole in the budget.
About 10,000 state workers would have to stay home two days a month under the plan, resulting in a 9.2% salary cut. Modified furlough plans were released by the state Department of Education and University of Hawaii to take into account the academic calendar.
See Wednesday’s edition of West Hawaii Today for additional details.