Tennessee state employees may face furloughs as federal shutdown drags on

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — While federal workers across the country continue working without paychecks during the ongoing government shutdown, Tennessee state employees may soon join them as federal funding that supports their positions begins to run dry.

State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said this could potentially impact hundreds of state employees.

"You have state employees that could potentially be furloughed and lose their pay and potentially lose their health insurance," said Johnson, a Franklin based Republican.

Unlike typical federal shutdowns that don't impact state-level jobs, Tennessee relies heavily on federal funding for many positions. While there's no exact timeline for when that funding will be exhausted, Johnson said the Department of Human Services would likely