SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than 200 sexual assault and domestic violence survivors sounded the alarm Thursday morning on what they say are looming cuts to life-saving service programs.
As state budget negotiations continue, the group is demanding funding for their services not be reduced.
Survivors say they shouldn't have to worry about coming to the capitol time and time again, having to relive their trauma so they can ensure others will have the same services that helped them overcome their assault.
"I am a Harvey Weinstein survivor and an advocate for the #MeToo movement. I was assaulted by Harvey Weinstein in 1998 when I was only 24 years old," said Rowena Chiu, a sexual assault survivor.
Chiu says she knows the pain of going through a crisis and not having anyone help her.
She and more than 200 others who survived sexual assault or domestic violence rallied at the state capitol Thursday, hand in hand with their advocates.
"We are here today to demand that Governor Newsom sign a budget where that both the Assembly and the budget have put forth with $103 million to be exact into the state's budget on an ongoing basis," said Sandra Henriquez, who is the CEO with ValorUS also known as Valor in Spanish.
The money would go to a demand in services aiding victims.
Tina Rodriguez with the Beloved Survivors Trauma Recovery Center says there's startling fear surrounding the possibility almost 50% of budget cuts could be realistic.
"We can't go 68 seconds here in America without there being a victim of sexual assault. There is a record-breaking number of children visiting grave sites for victims of domestic violence following the global pandemic," said Rodriguez.
The budget must be balanced and passed by June 15 but currently has a projected $27 billion shortfall, leaving the legislature to figure out what services will have cuts or reduced funding.
"If the governor does not sign that budget for ongoing funding, what we are going to have is we're going to have a minimum of 400,000 victims in California that go unserved that end up on the streets, that end up getting retargeted and re-victimized. That's what's going to happen," said Henriquez.
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