The emergency is over. Prop 58 no longer applies, and neither the governor nor the legislature are empowered morally or legally to institute furloughs.

Service reductions through furloughs save a small amount of money in the short term, but cost much more money in the long term as a result of lower morale, higher administrative costs associated with overruns, late filers/fulfillment, lawsuits, turnover, and a generally less productive work environment.

The governor and the legislature should end the furlough program and let the Department of Personnel Administration represent the State’s workforce policy, as indicated in statute, via bargaining unit agreements, and good-faith bargaining & negotiation.