Scores of California state offices won’t be open today

More than 200,000 California employees will be forced to take an unpaid day off in response to the state's worsening fiscal crisis. The DMV will be among the departments not open.
By Jean Merl
LA Times

February 6, 2009

Scores of state offices will be closed today as more than 200,000 workers take their first unpaid day off in response to California's deepening fiscal crisis.

That means Californians won't be able to take a driver's license test or conduct business at some state office buildings.

But, adding to the potential for consumer confusion, some state services and facilities will be open for business as usual.

The state judge who last month upheld the governor's furlough order said Thursday that his decision did not apply to about 15,600 employees of statewide elected officials, such as the attorney general, schools chief and controller. Administration officials said they may file a lawsuit in coming weeks seeking to also keep those workers home.

Workers in some other departments will take their unpaid days off on a different schedule, and the governor's office decided Thursday to keep open all one-stop career centers for the unemployed.

(More here.)