Governor Schwarzenegger plans to send out 20,000 layoff notices to state workers today.
He had threatened to do so last week, but delayed the move because of progress on a deal to balance the state's budget. But a marathon weekend session aimed at closing the budget deficit was unsuccessful.
Schwarzenegger Press Secretary Aaron McLear says the Governor now has no other choice:
McLear: "The reason we have to send these out is because we're running out of money. There are very few things the Governor can unilaterally do to cut back on government spending and this is one of the few things he can do. So it's simply a matter of making sure we have enough cash to pay our bills."
McLear says the goal is to eliminate 10,000 positions. Notices would go to the least senior state workers. He notes things could change if the legislature approves a budget plan very soon.
The Governor and legislative leaders worked out a deal that includes billions in cuts, tax hikes and borrowing. However it does not yet have enough Republican support to pass both houses.
