ATLANTA - Republican gubernatorial hopeful Karen Handel refused to have her staff in the secretary of state's office take furlough days, even as other state employees have been forced to grapple with smaller paychecks to help the state slash its budget.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Ben Harbin said Tuesday that if prison guards, teachers and other state employees are being forced to take the unpaid days off to deal with the cash-strapped state budget, the secretary of state's office should as well.

"I think it's only fair," the Evans Republican said Wednesday.

Dan McLagan, spokesman for Handel's campaign, said that as secretary of state Handel's office slashed about $1.9 million from the budget and eliminated 38 positions, permanent cuts that made furloughs unnecessary.

He said Handel has made clear on the campaign trail that furloughs are a short-term fix to a long-term fiscal problem.

"Furloughs are what you do when you refuse to make the tough decisions," McLagan said.

Harbin ripped Handel at a meeting of the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. He said the new Secretary of State Brian Kemp - who took over in January after Handel stepped down - is ordering staff to take six furlough days before the June 30 end of the fiscal year.

"We're asking the department to participate like everyone else," Harbin said.

But McLagan suggested that Harbin's attack may have been prompted by Handel's criticism of the ethics of state legislators. In January, Handel assailed the culture of "sex, lies and lobbyists" that has sprung up at the state Capitol under the rule of her fellow Republicans.

"The Legislature is still stinging from getting called out on ethics by Karen," McLagan said.

Harbin has contributed $3,000 to one of Handel's Republican rivals, U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal.

Handel is one of seven Republicans seeking the GOP nomination for governor.

She stepped down as secretary of state at the end of 2009, with one year left in her first term, to concentrate full time on her gubernatorial bid.

Two other state constitutional officers are running for governor. Republican state insurance commissioner John Oxendine has ordered staff to take 10 furlough days since July 1, 2008, for a savings of $423,213. Oxendine himself has participated in the furloughs, spokesman Glenn Allen said. Attorney General Thurbert Baker, a Democrat, has also instructed staff to take furlough days.

Gov. Sonny Perdue has ordered employees of state agencies to take six furlough days for the fiscal year that began July 1 as the state looks to bridge a $1.2 billion budget gap. Statewide constitutional officers and schools have more flexibility, according to Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley.

The governor sets their budgets, Brantley said, but they may decide for themselves how to meet that budget target.