State Budget Cuts Are Called a Threat to Boxing

The chairman of the California Athletic Commission said Tuesday that if proposed state budget cuts are carried out, boxing might be outlawed in California.

“The state budget asks us to cut $200,000 from our 1992 budget, and there’s simply nothing there to cut,” said Bill Eastman, who is police chief in Pleasanton, Calif.

“We may go out of business. The commission has the authority to close things down. If there is no funding to do what we need to do, then it’s our obligation to close it down.”

The commission will meet in Sacramento on Friday to discuss Gov. Pete Wilson’s proposed 1993-94 budget.

A budget cut last year forced the closure of the commission’s Los Angeles office and the layoffs of four staff members.

“We’re at rock bottom,” said Richard DeCuir, the commission’s executive officer.

“We’re down to two staff people . . . and 4 1/2 clerical people. Any further staff cuts would mean we couldn’t do any licensing or show supervision. The California penal code requires the state to regulate boxing in this state. So if we’re put out of business, so is boxing.”

Among the topics to be discussed at Friday’s commission meeting, DeCuir said, was the immediate increasing of all state boxing fees and the writing of a bill that would enable the commission to tax California pay-per-view boxing shows.