If you've got any urgent business with state government, you'd best get it done today.

All state offices will be closed Friday because of furloughs mandated by Gov. Bill Richardson — and nearly all offices will be closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

The only people who won't get a four-day weekend in state government are employees of the Governor's Office and Cabinet secretaries, who will work Monday. 

Many of them will be busy getting ready for the 30-day legislative session that starts Tuesday.

The state court system is open Friday as employees there are not on furlough, so court business continues as usual.

At the Department of Workforce Solutions, officials are reminding claimants that the federal holiday on Monday will result in a delay in banking transactions for unemployment claims. They should plan accordingly, the office said.

Additionally, the Department of Cultural Affairs says the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors, the New Mexico Museum of Art, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, and the Museum of International Folk Art will be closed Monday.

Richardson last year ordered five days of furloughs to save money. The first was Dec. 24. Friday was the second, and the others are March 5, April 2 and May 28.

The unpaid days off will affect about 17,000 employees and save about $8.1 million. There are 4,100 people in various departments exempted from the plan, including state police officers and dispatchers, and various corrections and hospital officials.

Contact Kate Nash at 986-3036 or knash@sfnewmexican.com.