Tuesday’s early vote count was leaning against Measure ER, a proposed sales tax increase that supporters said would help offset hundreds of millions of dollars in federal healthcare funding cuts and prevent service reductions at clinics, hospitals and medical programs across the region.
Returns as of 9:38 p.m. showed the measure behind 54% to 46%. (See the latest number here.) Early indications showed overall voting was outpacing the 2022 primary.
Measure ER would raise the countywide sales tax by 0.5% for five years, increasing the rate from 9.75% to 10.25%. In Long Beach, the combined sales tax would reach 11% in October and 11.25% next year when a previously approved local tax increase takes effect.
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Supporters said the tax would be a critical lifeline for a healthcare system facing steep federal reductions tied to the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law by President Donald Trump last year…