After voters rejected ballot measures that would have helped ease California’s $21 billion deficit May 19, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and other state officials are preparing sizeable budget cuts, including $600 million from health and human services, The Washington Post reports. These cuts would affect HIV education, the state’s version of Medicaid, in-home support services and disease prevention programs.
According to the article, Schwarzenegger met with legislators in private meetings May 20 to discuss plans to move forward on the budget. Voters overwhelmingly rejected five of the six ballot measures in this week’s special election, which included a combination of tax increases, loans and earmarks for education. The only measure approved would prevent the governor and legislators from receiving pay raises when the state is running a deficit.
In addition, Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget—released in anticipation of the ballot measure failure—would turn thousands of undocumented immigrant prisoners to federal custody, which would save the state $100 million.
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