Oregon Public Broadcasting

More than 50 Washington state agencies and commissions will close for business Monday. It's an unpaid day off to save the state money.

It's the first of 10 scheduled furlough days for Washington state employees this year and next. The legislature ordered the days off to help the state close a multi-billion dollar budget gap.

At the Department of Social and Health Services in Spokane, most agency workers will stay home.

But spokesman John Wiley says some employees are considered essential and will report to work as usual.

John Wiley: "People at the psychiatric hospitals and folks who basically provide care 24 hours-a-day."

Along the same lines, state patrol troopers will be in their cruisers, though the agency's offices will be dark. Also, state liquor stores will be open.

The state employees' union has sued, saying Washington must negotiate work interruptions. It wanted an injunction to stop today's shutdown, but a judge in Olympia said no.

So now union and state negotiators are talking about adjusting the other nine scheduled furlough days.