Would raising a county sales tax help local residents stave off federal health care cuts? A coalition of health care organizations and workers say yes.
As CalMatters’ Ana B. Ibarra explains, Restore Healthcare for Angelenos is pushing to place a measure on the June ballot that would ask Los Angeles County voters to decide whether the county could impose a half-cent sales tax through 2031. The money would go toward helping residents pay for primary and emergency care, as well as behavioral health needs for people who have lost their Medi-Cal coverage.
The coalition says the proposal would raise about $1 billion a year, and it’s working with Supervisor Holly Mitchell to present the motion to the county.
- Mitchell, in an emailed statement: “This option is on the table because what’s at stake are safety net services unraveling for millions of residents. … This is a last resort option for the times we’re facing.”
The board is expected to vote on the proposal next month. If it rejects putting the initiative before voters in June, the coalition will try for the November ballot…