Jerry Brown is revoking your cell phone privileges

Gov. Jerry Brown wants to show voters that he means what he said in the campaign about cutting back on spending. And, so, he has ordered roughly 48,000 state-owned cell phones be confiscated from state employees, the Sacramento Bee reports.

From the Bee:

"It is difficult for me to believe that 40 percent of all state employees must be equipped with taxpayer-funded cell phones," Brown said in a written statement.

The state currently pays for 96,000 cell phones, the governor added.

"Some state employees, including department and agency executives who are required to be in touch 24 hours a day and seven days a week, may need cell phones, but the current number of phones out there is astounding."