In an act of despotism and disregard for the voice of California voters, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed cutting many of this state’s most vital programs in his most recent budget plan. Education is once again on the legislative chopping block, and public higher education systems — as well as educational preparation programs — are in grave danger.

Twelve hours after leaving UC Santa Cruz, the caravan of student government officers and interns prepared to leave Sacramento behind. Hundreds of UC, CSU, and California Community College system (CCC) students filed out of the Capitol Building, clinging to the hope that legislators might heed their testimonies. “What is at stake here,” UCSC Student Union Assembly (SUA) external vice chair Victor Sanchez said to the budget committee, “is more than the future of our system of higher education, but that of the state of California.”