Court prolongs state worker furlough orders

SACRAMENTO On Tuesday, an appellate court issued a stay on two of three union lawsuits challenging the furloughs. A lower court had ruled to send certain categories of state employees back to work full-time on Friday.

Schwarzenegger imposed three-day-a-month furloughs last year to help save the state money. Public employee unions have filed more than two dozen claims challenging the furloughs.

Last week, Alameda Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch ruled the governor could no longer furlough workers from departments that received most of their funding from sources outside the general fund.