SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A judge ruled on Thursday that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger can force tens of thousands of state workers to take days off without pay to help close a multibillion dollar budget gap.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A judge ruled on Thursday that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger can force tens of thousands of state workers to take days off without pay to help close a multibillion dollar budget gap. The two-day-a-month furloughs are scheduled to start Feb. 6 and would apply to all 238,000 state workers, although many of those would be exempt. Two employee unions had challenged Schwarzenegger’s executive order, saying he did not have authority to order furloughs. Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Patrick Marlette disagreed. He said the governor has "express authority to make the challenged order." He also said certain union agreements allow the administration to reduce employee hours if the state runs short of money. Schwarzenegger has declared a fiscal emergency as California faces a $42 billion budget deficit through June 2010. Schwarzenegger said the reduced-work plan will save California about $1.4 billion through June 2010. He and lawmakers are debating billions of dollars in spending cuts, tax increases and borrowing to close the shortfall. "The current circumstances constitute an emergency," Marlette said. "The challenged order is reasonable and necessary." ______ Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
About Post Author
