Party Leaders Join to Oppose Prop. 64

SACRAMENTO — In a rare instance of election-year harmony, California Democratic and Republican party leaders joined Tuesday in denouncing Proposition 64, the Lyndon H. LaRouche-backed anti-AIDS ballot initiative.

“AIDS is a nonpartisan disease and affects Republicans and Democrats equally,” Democratic Party Chairwoman Betty Smith said at a joint press conference with her Republican counterpart, Clair W. Burgener.

The measure would, among other things, add acquired immune deficiency syndrome to the state’s list of infectious diseases and would authorize the quarantining of AIDS victims and people who test positive for the virus. State health officials say they already have the authority to quarantine AIDS patients, if necessary, and that AIDS now is a reportable disease.