Courtesy Las Vegas Sun:

CARSON CITY — Most of Nevada’s government will soon transition to a four-day workweek. But the reasons for it go beyond filling the state’s $887 million deficit.

The plan, proposed by Gov. Jim Gibbons and broadly supported by legislators, will save $600,000 on energy costs, make it easier to implement a 10-hour-a-month furlough for state workers and lift their flagging morale.

But legislative sources point to another reason — even if they’re loath to admit it publicly — for this major change: The reduction in the availability of state services will make the public feel the effect of the revenue shortfall.

It’s a potentially controversial, if intriguing, strategy.

The citizen who isn’t attending college or doesn’t have a child in school or use social services, may not have felt the effects of previous rounds of cuts. But longer lines at the Department of Motor Vehicles, lengthier waits for birth and death records and delays for businesses dealing with state agencies might make Nevada’s stark financial situation personal.

Legislators cited first the potential economic benefits of the four-day week — Utah, which adopted the schedule in 2008, saw energy savings, overtime and sick leave among state employees decrease and citizens increasingly use online services.

But as Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, said: “It’s important for us, as we cut across the board, to demonstrate to the public the impact of the cuts.”

-Source.