Furlough Watch: Sen. Jim Brochin
State Sen. Jim Brochin took four days without pay as part of a voluntary furlough request made to 188 state legislators late last year.
Brochin, a Democrat who represents the 42nd District, released a form dated Dec. 16, 2008, that authorizes state human resources officials to withhold four days’ pay totaling $483.36.
Brochin’s district includes Towson, Timonium and part of Pikesville.
The voluntary pay decrease was part of a request House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller made to all 188 legislators last year. The request came at the same time 67,000 state employees were required to take three to five days without pay to help balance the state budget.
State legislators, by law, cannot be forced to take a pay cut, nor can their salaries be increased during their four-year term.
The House and Senate released a list in August that named more than 150 legislators who participated in the first round of voluntary furloughs earlier this year. Brochin was one of 25 legislators from Baltimore County on that list.
The list, however, did not specify the number of days’ pay each legislator gave up. Such information is considered protected by law, according to an opinion from the Office of the Attorney General.
Patuxent Publishing Co., publisher of this Web site, is asking each county legislator to voluntarily disclose the number of days’ pay they had withheld.
Brochin provided the document after receiving such a request.
In August, Busch and Miller announced they were giving up an additional 10 days’ pay at the same time state employees were told they would have to give up an additional eight to 10 days’ pay based on the salary of each employee.
Busch and Miller asked legislators to also give up an additional eight to 10 days of their $43,500 annual salary. Legislators were also asked to sign a waiver that will allow the state to disclose the number of days each lawmaker took in this second round.
Brochin also released documents that show he is withholding an additional eight days of pay as part of the second round of voluntary furloughs.