State agencies have handed out millions of dollars in interest-free salary and travel advances to state employees without collecting repayment, according to audits from the state controller’s office. Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order Tuesday halting the practice and is working with state Controller John Chiang to determine how widespread it has been -– and how much money the state is owed from employees who never paid back loans. “This situation reinforces the worst stereotype of ineffective and inefficient government,” Brown said in a statement. “I have ordered state agencies to immediately investigate the backlog of uncollected debts, and...