The State - News from June 21, 1987

Legislation to create a tax credit for donations to AIDS prevention programs was proposed as a means of encouraging formation of a public-private partnership to tackle the disease. The bill, by Assemblyman Johan Klehs (D-San Leandro), would allow personal income taxpayers a 55% credit up to a maximum of $25 for singles, $50 for joint taxpayers, and a 55% credit up to a maximum of $5,000 for bank and corporate taxpayers for donations to an AIDS Prevention Trust, which would distribute the voluntary contributions to qualified AIDS research organizations nationwide. Klehs said that providing a tax credit “gives the people of this state a direct means to attack AIDS,” just as in the 1950s a huge voluntary effort combined with government funds was used to fight polio.