Late yesterday, an Alameda Superior Court Judge blocked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed furloughs of three working days a month on 150,000 California state workers.

The temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by Judge Steven Brick protects all SEIU Local 1000 employees that were at risk for reinstated furloughs. In his ruling, the judge stated that permitting the unpaid days off from work the Governor proposed be implemented before a scheduled Sept. 13 court hearing could cause irreparable harm to state employees. "Judge Brick was not convinced that furloughing of these employees was going to do anything to address the $19 billion deficit that was used to justify the furloughs," added Felix De La Torre, SEIU Local 1000's lead attorney on the case.

Unfortunately for (just about everybody involved), Gov. Schwarzenegger can't seem to comprehend this. In the press, the Governor continues to belittle the tremendous hardship his furlough orders have caused state employees and communities, calling the 15 percent furlough pay cut "a little haircut." And last week, he told the Sac Bee he is "not taking anything away from any state employee." This couldn't be farther from the truth. Reinstating furloughs for most state employees triggers a $172.3 million loss to the California economy for each month they're in effect.

In his ruling, Judge Brick wrote that the furloughs have depleted state employees' savings, hurt their credit, brought foreclosures and have even threatened many families' ability to afford food and medicine. Read the Judge's entire ruling here.

Watch Channel 1000 breaking news for more details on the furlough ruling.