California talks universal health care … again

Apr 23, 2024

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California Assemblymember Liz Ortega speaks in favor of universal health care at a CalCare rally ahead of a committee hearing for the bill in Sacramento on April 23, 2024.

California Assemblymember Liz Ortega speaks in favor of universal health care at a CalCare rally ahead of a committee hearing. | Sarah Grace Taylor for POLITICO

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED ... California Democrats are going to try, once again, to pass universal health care after multiple years of dashed hopes and unfulfilled campaign promises from Gov. Gavin Newsom. But supporters are prepared for what they say is a perennial fight.

The Assembly Committee on Health holds its first hearing this afternoon on Bill 2200, which would establish a framework for a single-payer, state-run coverage system called CalCare to control health care costs for all residents.

Establishing single-payer health care in the state has been a hard sell in the past, mainly because of the expensive price tag. Legislative analysts have estimated it could cost between $314 billion and $391 billion a year — one reason a similar CalCare bill couldn’t garner enough support to pass in 2022.

But the new iteration of the bill faces more promising prospects with more single-payer-friendly leaders in the Legislature. An overall budget deficit and lack of funding structure could still thwart the effort again this year — but supporters remain hopeful.

“I think coming out of the pandemic, we’re seeing the desire for people to have health care more. I think it’s changed a lot of minds and more and more people are committed to making sure people don’t have to suffer or die because they pay to go to the doctor,” Assemblymember Liz Ortega told Playbook.

Ortega, a Democrat representing Hayward and one of 20 co-authors of the bill, spoke to a Sacramento rally of health care workers and other supporters ahead of the hearing.

“We are the fifth largest economy in the world and if rich people can send themselves to space, we can afford to have health care for everyone,” she told the crowd.

Despite its popularity in other countries and among progressives, no states have implemented single-payer health care.

Ortega says supporters will continue chipping away at the issue until it passes — even if it gets delayed yet another year.

“We’ll absolutely be back,” she said. “It's a righteous issue and we're not giving up.”

A message from Chamber of Progress:

SB 1490 is not the right way forward. We commend the CA legislature for adjusting the bill, but this well-intentioned legislation still has unintended consequences. Learn how this bill hurts more than helps.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

MORE MONEY, PLEASE — California city leaders are in Sacramento this afternoon to ask the state for more funding to provide housing and services to combat homelessness.

Members of the California Big City Mayors Coalition descended upon the Capitol today to meet with Newsom and legislative leaders to discuss the state’s biggest issues. While there’s a certain level of agreement that the state should prioritize investing in homelessness — voters even approved a ballot initiative last month authorizing a $6 billion bond to help address the crisis — the request comes at a tough moment.

The state is facing around a $38 billion budget shortfall this year and was recently reprimanded in an audit, which found local governments were not sufficiently tracking the efficacy of their homelessness spending.

Newsom also cracked down on localities last week, saying he refuses to “fund failure” going forward.

“They sure as hell shouldn’t get another penny if they didn’t use the money wisely,” Newsom said at the time.

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ON THE BEATS

Travelers wait in line at an airport security checkpoint.

A proposal would require third-party airport vendors such as CLEAR to get their own dedicated security lane or lose the ability to operate in California airports. | Julia Nikhinson/AP

CLEAR OUT — Arguments over cutting in line at the airport are expected to spill into the political arena later this afternoon, when a bill targeting the airport security screening company CLEAR gets its first hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee.

The proposal would require third-party airport vendors such as CLEAR to get their own dedicated security lane or lose the ability to operate in California airports. Senator Josh Newman, the bill’s author, argues that allowing people to pay to cut to the front of the security checkpoint creates an equity issue.

Newman could take amendments proposed in the committee analysis that would allow CLEAR to continue operating, but restrict the company from expanding to new airports until they get a dedicated lane — which would require federal approval.

The measure has labor support from flight attendants and TSA agents, while several major airlines, the California Airports Council and business interests have lined up against it.

The bill has touched a nerve beyond Sacramento, with Newman getting so many responses to a social media post that he had to clarify what the bill does. He also pushed back on Republican lawmakers who criticized the bill. Assemblymember Joe Patterson said the bill was a product of lawmakers having “too much time on our hands,” and Assemblymember Bill Essayli offered to pay Newman’s fee to get CLEAR.

“Cutting in front of the People to do the work of the People?” Newman responded. “Not sure if the People would appreciate that.” — Eric He

A message from Chamber of Progress:

MIND THE LINE — Assemblymember Alex Lee is attempting to revive an effort that would allow public employees to respect the picket lines of other public employees, even if they themselves are not on strike.

Assembly Bill 2404 is nearly an exact replica of last year’s bill by Eloise Gómez Reyes, which Newsom vetoed, calling it overly broad. Backers — which include the California Labor Federation, the California Federation of Teachers and the California Teachers Association — say workers have a “democratic right” to honor their coworkers’ picket lines, and that for many, it is a matter of conscience.

But local government advocates say such a right would cause numerous problems for public services. At a hearing in the Assembly Judiciary Committee this morning, a representative for the Rural County Representatives of California said many government agencies are co-located in the same building, meaning that one strike could potentially result in multiple departments stopping work.

The bill passed out of committee this morning and now heads to the Appropriations Committee. — Lara Korte

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WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY

— The suspect accused of breaking into Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ house over the weekend has been arrested. (Associated Press)

— Coca-Cola just agreed another partnership with Microsoft, dropping $1.1 billion to continue exploring how the tech giant’s AI can improve workplace productivity. (The Sacramento Bee)

— Google fired 20 more workers, claiming they were involved in protests over the company's cloud-computing contract with the Israeli government. That brings the total number of workers fired to 50. (CNN)

— California lawmakers rejected a proposal to crack down on how some of the nation's largest utilities spend customers' money. (Associated Press)

A message from Chamber of Progress:

Overly broad language and ill-defined provisions are at the heart of SB 1490’s problems. Wanting to protect restaurants is admirable, but this bill actually makes it more difficult for platforms to offer new services and may threaten the ones restaurants already value.

The bill also mandates protections for bad-faith third parties, calling into question who this bill is intended to help.

Learn more about how this bill backs the wrong group.

AROUND THE STATE

— Tesla is laying off another chunk of its California workforce. This time it’s thousands of Fremont and Palo Alto workers who are taking the hit. (San Francisco Chronicle)

— How L.A. County is trying to remake addiction treatment — no more ‘business as usual’. (Los Angeles Times)

— Stores in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district could face a sharp curfew under a proposed ordinance from the city’s mayor. Owners could owe thousands of dollars if they break it. (The San Francisco Standard)

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