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NY Lawmakers: Cuomo Moving To Cut Funds To Fight Cancer

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo with celebrity chef Sandra Lee.
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NY Governor Andrew Cuomo with celebrity chef Sandra Lee.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to cut $25 million from 39 public health programs that fight cancer, diabetes and other conditions.

The Democrat's administration says it will be up to state health officials to decide where to make the reductions, which are intended to make public health spending more efficient. A spokesman says Cuomo's $152 billion budget proposal increases health care spending overall.

Some lawmakers aren't buying Cuomo's explanation. Democratic Sen. Liz Krueger, of Manhattan, says the governor should specify which programs will be cut before the budget is approved.

The American Cancer Society opposes any cuts, noting that last year the program funded 25,000 cancer screenings for poor New Yorkers.

Last year, Cuomo called for big investments to fight cancer after his girlfriend, celebrity chef Sandra Lee, successfully battled breast cancer.

(C) 2017 AP

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Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.