Whether or not the state Legislature passes a budget by June 30, Island County workers facing lay-offs will remain on the job and get paid.

Island County commissioners approved paying 34 county employees whose salaries are fully or partially funded by state grants. Programs operating with state money will also remain up and running.

Commissioners made the unanimous decision during a Wednesday work session.

“It’s not (the employees) fault, and we have the budget capacity to carry them through the end of July,” said Commissioner Jill Johnson.

The county expects to get reimbursed from state agencies after the 2018-20 state operating budget passes.

Washington state faces a partial government shutdown if the current impasse over education funding is not resolved by June 30, the end of the current fiscal year.

About 32,000 state employees received warnings they may be temporarily laid off.

A total of 34 Island County employees received layoff notices, mailed Monday. Seven of those workers would have lost their jobs while 27 faced reduced hours and/or loss of health insurance, Island County Human Resources Director Melanie Bacon told commissioners.

They work in human services, public health, justice and court services and Washington State University Cooperative Extension program.

“We all believe the state will pass the budget on time,” Bacon told the Whidbey News-Times. “But we have to do this cruel dance. To scare employees and their families like this, I just hate it.”

On Wednesday, Gov. Jay Inslee called the Legislature into a third special session.

If lawmakers don’t agree on a budget and get Inslee’s signature by June 30, most state government agencies will either fully or partially start shutting down on July 1.

Lawmakers have been directed to comply with a 2012 state Supreme Court ordering them to budget for basic education costs, such as teachers’ salaries, rather than relying on local school district property tax levies.

Called the McCleary decision, lawmakers failed during previous legislative sessions to resolve the funding of basic education and have taken the state to the brink of shutting down.

In 2015, lawmakers passed a new two-year budget on June 30; in 2013, the budget passed on June 28.