House Speaker Terie Norelli says New Hampshire's legislative branch won't need to lay off or furlough any workers to comply with a mandate to save money.

Norelli said legislative leaders were prepared to implement a mandatory furlough plan had the State Employees' Association not rejected one. Norelli said before the union rejected furloughs last month, 18 legislative employees voluntarily took 215 unpaid days off over the summer and fall.

She said legislative leaders tallied up those savings and then made three full-time positions part time, delayed hiring four people and didn't fill four vacant positions. Norelli said the total savings are almost $847,000 _ the Legislature's share of $25 million in labor cuts mandated in the budget.