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Ten arrested in protest outside Jerry Brown’s office

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Ten protesters were detained outside Gov. Jerry Brown’s office Tuesday, injecting some drama into a day of hearings and closed-door meetings on the state budget.

The protesters were criticizing Brown’s proposal to cut spending on home care for the elderly and disabled. They were arrested for blocking the governor’s office, according to the California Highway Patrol, which provides security in the Capitol.

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Chants echoed down the Capitol hallways, but the arrests seem to have been handled in an orderly fashion. Two officers led away each protester. One protester in a wheelchair was wheeled away.

Brown has proposed saving $225 million from the In-Home Supportive Services program through cuts that include a 7% reduction in hours of care. The cut would have a ripple effect because counties and the federal government would withdraw matching funds, leading to a total reduction of about $800 million.

Advocates say the program is an important way to keep people out of expensive nursing homes, and Laphonza Butler, president of SEIU United Long-Term Care, said it has already suffered too many budget cuts.

‘Any more cuts to this program would endanger people’s lives,’ she said.

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Jerry Brown’s plea to voters: please increase taxes temporarily

-- Chris Megerian

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