The State Supreme Court ruled that many of the Governor's cost saving measures last year were legal. Chief among those was ordering state workers to take several unpaid days off each month. Aaron McLear is a spokesman for the Governor.
"Well the court said the Governor's actions to cut spending and live within our means were ok. The line item vetoes he took were ok. The furlough program he did was ok. And so that's certainly a victory for us."
Bruce Blanning is the Executive Director of Professional Engineers in California Government, one of the plaintiff's in the case. He says the unions didn't get everything they'd hoped for, but still feel like they won.
"Their ruling was whether or not the Governor had unilateral authority to impose furloughs. And the court ruled; no he doesn't. He can't just shut state offices, send people home, cut their pay by himself."
"It is very narrow, specific and fact based. Which doesn't establish any kind of precedent, or change anything going forward."
Jacobs says the Court focused on the fact that last year's furloughs were a part of a budget that was approved by the legislature. In the future, the Governor will have to get the legislature's approval for furloughs.
The current round of furloughs was reinstated before a budget agreement last Friday. The details of that budget have yet to be announced.
