For all the grief that right-wingers in Nevada give to California, we think we’ve found at least one idea that Silver State Republicans might want to pilfer from the Golden State. Next week, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to cut state worker pay to deal with California’s budget crisis.

The Sacramento Bee reports the move comes as the governor strives to deal with a $15.2 billion deficit in a budget that’s one month overdue. An executive order that Schwarzenegger will sign next week will reduce the salaries of more than 200,000 government workers to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 per hour.

Apparently, California has budget reserves to continue to pay employees through September; after that, if no new budget is passed, the state will be forced to the equivalent of getting cash advances on its credit cards.

Here in Nevada, no state workers have been laid off nor has pay been reduced for anyone despite budget cuts and accounting maneuvers that total about $1.2 billion. Worker layoffs have been mentioned if deeper cuts are required; universities have indicated that faculty contracts won’t be renewed next year; and the Clark County School District is holding some positions open in case budget cuts are needed. But the Legislature last month rejected a plan advanced by Republicans to take back a 4 percent cost-of-living adjustment for state workers and teachers.

Nobody tell state Sen. Bob Beers or conservative activist Chuck Muth or the Review-Journal editorial page about this, however. They’d all love to see Nevada’s government employees making minimum wage.