California Purges Thousands of State-Issued Cell Phones

As mobile devices continue to gain in popularity, California has taken a step to limit their use by state employees. Gov. Jerry Brown (D-CA) announced June 8 that 29,398 cell phones have been eliminated from state use — a 44 percent reduction in state agencies and departments.

This is just the first round of cuts. Brown’s target goal is to remove a total of 33,559 cell phones from state service, which would equal a 50 percent reduction statewide. The cutbacks are expected to save approximately $13 million. Evan Westrup, a spokesman for the governor’s office, said that Brown’s own office has achieved a 75 percent cutback of its cell phones to set an example for the rest of the state.