State employees and lawmakers alike believe balancing a state budget has been an uphill battle, but whether the furlough plan is the best solution still very much up for debate.

State workers and union representatives spoke out Thursday against Governor Beshear's proposed furlough plan. David Warrick, executive director of AFSCME, said "we're not saying 'poor me,' we're here to say the furlough plans make no sense."

While the governor has said the furlough plan will save $24 million, opponents Thursday say it won't. "In the correctional department we can't absorb these costs. We will have to cover someone on furlough working 8 hours with someone working on overtime hours."

The Personnel Cabinet says individual agencies, such as the ones operating 24 hours a day, will be given some flexibility on which days they use for the furlough. As part of the plan, most employees will have to take off an extra day around Labor Day, Veterans Day, and Memorial Day, along with extra days in October, March, and June.