Hundreds Gather for California Rally Protesting Proposed Cuts to HIV/AIDS Programs

Hundreds of people gathered at a planned rally on Wednesday at the California State Capitol in Sacramento to protest the proposed $80.1 million in budget cuts to HIV/AIDS programs in the state, which would result in an 80 percent reduction in prevention, testing and counseling programs, as well as significant cuts in programs for people living with HIV, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. According to the Chronicle, the plan "faces pushback from the Legislature, where the leaders of both houses have announced their strong opposition," including Sen. Mark Leno (D). At the rally, Leno urged other lawmakers to examine the possible effects of the cuts. Lisa Page, a spokesperson for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), said the governor understands the consequences of the cuts but the state is facing a $24.3 billion budget deficit and has limited options. She said, "Many of these cuts the governor would never consider except in a worst-case scenario, and this is the worst-case scenario" (Buchanan, San Francisco Chronicle, 6/11).