More About Furloughs

To follow up on Alyssa's post from yesterday, a federal judge has dealt another blow to the possibility of government furloughs, according to the Washington Post. U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams Jr. ruled on Tuesday that Prince George's County's decision to furlough 5,900 of its employees was unconstitutional, because it violated the county's collective bargaining contract.

Legal wonks and gluttons for punishment can read the judge's 43-page decision here.

So furloughs as a cost-cutting measures aren't as simple as they sound, even with local governments. The decision has no direct effect on the federal government, but it adds another question mark to Richard Daley's proposal to give federal employees 15-day furloughs.

But this issue isn't going away. Over the next ten years or so, there's going to be a lot of debate about how to cut costs in the federal government, so expect to hear more about furloughs and other ways that state and local governments have saved money--including a four-day work week. (Hat tip to TNR.)