State furloughs declared legal


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The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that the 200,000 mandated furloughs for state employees last year were legal, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered the employees to take unpaid days because of the state’s fiscal crisis. The employees, however, sued with the argument that only the legislature could cut pay.

Though the court agreed that a governor does not have the sole authority to mandate furloughs, because legislators approved a budget measure that reflected Schwarzenegger’s order, the court ruled that the furloughs were valid.

“These decisions were absolutely necessary to keep our state functioning. Today’s ruling upholds the state’s actions to protect taxpayers and ensure we live within our means, just like every California family and business must do,” Schwarzenegger told the Times.

More than 30 lawsuits were filed against the governor.