OLYMPIA — Many Washington agencies are closed today for a furlough day to idle about 35,000 state employees without pay.
About 50 agencies and a third of the state employee work force are affected.
It’s the first of 10 unpaid days over the coming year marked in the state budget to cut about $70 million in spending. Others will be Aug. 6, Sept. 7, Oct. 11, Dec. 27, Jan. 28, Feb. 22, March 11, April 22 and June 10.
State troopers, prison guards, child protection workers and public health and patient safety workers are exempt from the furloughs.
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