NATION IN BRIEF : GEORGIA : Worker Furloughs Rejected by Court

Georgia Gov. Zell Miller’s plan to furlough 100,000 state employees without pay for one day in July and one in August is illegal because it was not approved by the Legislature, a state judge ruled. Miller indicated that court rejection of the cost-cutting measure means layoffs of up to 1,500 state employees rather than the 1,000 contemplated under a $600-million budget-reduction proposal to be given to the Legislature. Miller said the 5,000 members of the Georgia State Employees Union, which took the issue to court, “saved themselves two days’ pay” but “cost over 500 more (state) employees their jobs.” Union head Grant Williams called the ruling “a great victory for all state employees.” Williams refused to accept the governor’s blame for layoffs. “If you believe that, I have some waterfront property in Arizona to show you,” he said. “We believe there will be layoffs. We believe our actions aren’t causing the layoffs.”