Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California Wealth Tax Intended To Defray Healthcare Costs Is Rejected By Voters
The New York Times: California Voters Reject Prop. 40 Billionaire Tax Measure
California voters rejected a billionaire tax, The Associated Press determined on Monday, rebuking a measure that would have created the nation’s first wealth tax by targeting the assets of residents with a net worth beyond $1 billion. Under the tax measure, Proposition 40, the state would have imposed a one-time, 5 percent tax on the personal assets of billionaires and devoted most of the revenue to health care. (Rosenhall, 11/10)
Los Angeles Times: Voters Approve Prop. 38 Medical Research Bond Measure
California voters have passed Proposition 38, authorizing the state to issue $8.4 billion in bonds to fund immunology and immunotherapy research aimed at curing and preventing certain chronic diseases. The measure, which the Associated Press called on Monday evening, requires at least $4.2 billion of the funds to be used for immunology research on cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. It also authorizes the state to enter into a partnership with an unnamed immunology and immunotherapy research institute selected by the California Department of Public Health, and to allocate half of the bond revenue to it. (Garcia, 11/9)
Election updates from Colorado and Wyoming —
The Colorado Sun: Proposition 135 Results: Ban On Gender-Related Surgeries For Youth Passes
Colorado voters approved Proposition 135, a measure banning certain gender-related surgeries for minors, following a campaign that featured debates about medical independence and appropriate care for young people. (Ingold, 11/6)
Jackson Hole Community Radio: Teton County Voters Provide 'Relief' To Local Hospital
Election night could have dealt a near-fatal blow to St. John’s Health’s finances. But instead, two ballot measure outcomes doubled the property tax allotment for the valley’s largest year-round employer. (McMurtry, 11/9)
Also —
Axios: Democrats Face A Tough Sell With MAHA Voters
The potential for partnership between newly ascendant Democrats and the "Make America Healthy Again" movement is already threatened by their deep disagreements over Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Owens, 11/9)
The 19th: 2026 Midterms Energized A Powerful Constituency: Abuse Survivors
When Leanna Rocheleau saw the ad that Ohio gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy created, weaponizing his opponent Dr. Amy Acton’s childhood sexual abuse, the Columbus-area mother and small business owner felt “triggered.” Rocheleau, like nearly half of all U.S. women, is a survivor of sexual violence, and the ad hit at a gut level. (Becker, 11/6)
