Republican state Sen. Seth Harp, whose 29th district includes part of Troup County, said additional furlough days for teachers and other state employees are inevitable in the current fiscal year ending June 30.

Gov. Sonny Perdue already has withheld $900 million and further cuts of $600 million to $1 billion appear likely, he said, noting that personnel costs make up 80 percent of the budget.

“I wish we didn’t have to cut,” Harp said this week, “but I think we have no choice because we must have a balanced budget. … There’s no appetite, except from Democrats, to raise taxes.”“

Harp said senators are committed to reducing their own $18,000 salary by $1,500 per month, the equivalent of one furlough day per month.

“We’re all in this together and I want people to know that, contrary to what people think, we’re not living lavishly up here,” he said.

Furloughs, rather than job cuts, will help the state keep its infrastructure intact for when the economy improves and revenues come back, Harp said.

“We’ll be in a position to really move forward because we don’t have a mountain of debt” like California and other states, he said.

The state plans to close two prisons, which may result in earlier releases for nonviolent offenders, but Georgia has one of the highest prison populations in the country, he said.

New federal guidelines for Medicaid, which gets one-third funding from the state, will cost Georgia about $200 million or more, he said, and he said the state has no choice but to increase funding for mental health because it’s under a federal consent order to improve treatment.

Harp, now in his 10th year in the Senate, will be leaving Dec. 31 because he plans to be on the ballot for state insurance commissioner in this year’s elections.

If the campaign fails, “I’ll go home and play with my grandchildren” and continue practicing law in Columbus, he said.

Joel Martin can be reached at jmartin@lagrangenews. com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 235.