California Weekly Roundup: Health Worker Union Pushes Ballot Initiatives

Plus: It's Becerra vs. Hilton for governor; feds are denied hospital records of trans minors; SF General Hospital fined after fatal stabbing; LA County oil spill bigger than first reported; and more ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  

Not a subscriber? Sign Up Wednesday, June 10, 2026 Visit KFF Health News for the latest California headlines California Weekly Roundup NOTE TO READERS California Weekly Roundup will be on hiatus next week. We'll return June 24.  THIS WEEK'S FEATURE  Looming Medicaid Cuts Supercharge California’s Latest Labor-Industry Fight  (iStock / Getty Images) By Bernard J. Wolfson     The looming impact of federal Medicaid cuts has reignited a long-simmering, costly battle between California’s medical industry and one of its largest health worker unions.    SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, with approximately 120,000 members, has put forward two ballot initiatives to cap the pay of medical executives and require community clinics to spend the vast bulk of their revenues on patient care.   The California Hospital Association has responded with its own ballot proposal that would make it tougher for unions to spend money on political initiatives in the future. It would require approval by a union’s rank-and-file membership for any spending of $1 million or more on statewide measures, or $100,000 or more on local ones.   The competing measures, which have drawn enough verified signatures to qualify for the November ballot, come at a time when the rising cost of healthcare is emerging as a top voter concern.    The Service Employees International Union affiliate has seized upon affordability angst to resurrect a proposal for a cap on healthcare executive compensation, which it has failed to achieve multiple times before. The proposed measure garnered more than 1 million petition signatures.    Mikey Vaughn, a certified nursing assistant at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said that the Los Angeles hospital, despite its reputation as the go-to place for the rich and famous, often lacks supplies and staffing levels that he and his colleagues need to do their jobs effectively and without undue stress.    “The executive pay initiative would, I hope, be used to hire staff and to actually provide better resources for our patients,” said Vaughn, a member of SEIU-UHW’s executive board and political committee. Read the full story. Follow us online for more KFF Health News coverage: Top Health Headlines From Around California Elections AP: Democrat Xavier Becerra Advances In California Governor's Race Democrat Xavier Becerra advanced to the general election for California governor Friday after pitching himself as an experienced choice to lead the nation's most populous state and succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Austin, 6/6)   The New York Times: Hilton Beats Steyer to Win Second Spot in California Governor Race Steve Hilton, a Republican former Fox News host who was endorsed by President Trump, has secured the second spot in the November general election for California governor, The Associated Press determined on Tuesday. (Rosenhall, 6/9)   San Francisco Chronicle: California Executions Among Issues In Play In Becerra-Hilton Race In California governor race, Republican Steve Hilton favors the death penalty while Democrat Xavier Becerra would keep Gavin Newsom's moratorium on executions. (Egelko, 6/9) Gender-Affirming Care San Francisco Chronicle: Judge Keeps State Hospital Records Of Transgender Minors Away From Trump Administration A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from obtaining the California hospital records of transgender minors who have undergone treatment. (Egelko, 6/9) Healthcare Industry San Francisco Chronicle: SF General Hospital Hit With Record Fine For Lapses In Fatal Stabbing State safety inspectors fined San Francisco General $130,500 for seven workplace-violence-prevention violations, six of which were labeled “serious.” (Barned-Smith, 6/6)   San Francisco Examiner: Health Leaders Call For State Support For Public Hospitals Bay Area public-health officials gathered at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Thursday to plead for $500 million in state funding to offset federal funding cuts. (Gurevich, 6/7)   Fresno Bee: Healthcare Provider In Fresno County To Layoff Part Of Staff Centria Autism, a Michigan-based healthcare company that provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy services for autistic children in 11 states, will layoff 48 corporate employees in Fresno County. (Kuwada, 6/8)   Morgan Hill Times: Grant Helps Gavilan College Expand Nursing Program Gavilan College has been awarded $1.9 million to expand its nursing program and help address regional healthcare workforce needs. The funds were awarded through the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure Grant, says a press release from Gavilan College. (6/5)   San Francisco Chronicle: Can Free Tuition For CNAs Solve California's Caregiver Shortage? California has a shortage of senior caregivers. Can this free tuition program for certified nursing assistants help? (Ho, 6/7)   Bay Area News Group: San Jose Firefighter Earned $1 Million In Overtime As Public Safety Costs Soar The firefighter earned his overtime pay by filling vacant shifts on the fire department's paramedic, hazardous incident and fire engineer teams. The department has faced a severe shortage of licensed paramedics since the pandemic. (Varian, 6/9) Housing Crisis Los Angeles Times: VA Promise Of 800 New Homes On West L.A. Campus This Year Shrinks To 260 Five months after promising up to 800 units of new temporary housing on its West Los Angeles campus by this fall, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is calling for bids to build fewer than a third of that number with a delivery date seven months later. (Smith, 6/10)   Fresno Bee: While State Numbers Dip, Fresno And Madera See Homeless Count Climb, Report Says The number of people who live on the street or in a shelter in Fresno County grew since the last official tally even as the statewide count has seen numbers tick down, according to a report released Monday. (Miller, 6/8)   CapRadio: 'System-Wide Failure', Sacramento Homeless Advocates Call For Accountability After Dozens Of Families Displaced After the city transitioned their motel program to a voucher system, 25 families were displaced after motels denied use of their vouchers. (Finch and Felts, 6/8)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: 'She Is Only A Transient, Don't Worry About It': Deputy Failed To Act Before Woman Was Found In Ditch, Investigators Say An unidentified sheriff's deputy violated department policy by failing to respond to a request for help for Irma Espinoza, a 43-year-old homeless woman who died after being left in a ditch, even after a good Samaritan repeatedly called the Sheriff's Office for help, an independent investigation concluded. (McDonald and Davis, 6/4)   Manteca / Ripon Bulletin: Manteca's Leaders Put Faith In Homeless Effort The city has successfully wedded government services with the power of faith-based community organizations that have been on the frontline of helping homeless — or those about to become homeless —in Manteca decades before the issues were popping up on everyone's radar. (Wyatt, 6/9) Public Health The Sacramento Bee: Measles Found In Wastewater In This California County. Who Is Most At Risk? The Merced County Department of Public Health said Friday that measles virus material was found in routine wastewater surveillance samples. (Rodriguez, 6/9)   Los Angeles Times: Los Angeles County Moves Closer To Tracking Heat Sickness In Residents For the first time, Los Angeles County residents can see how many people are ending up in emergency rooms during heat waves. (Begert, 6/4)   Los Angeles Daily News: LA County Demands Answers After East LA Oil Spill Emits Odors, Hurts Businesses, Kills Birds In L.A. River An oil spill on the eve of the Memorial Day weekend from a ruptured pipeline in East Los Angeles poured thousands more gallons than first reported into the Los Angeles River, killing wild birds and emitting pungent odors into the homes and businesses, the county reported June 9. (Scauzillo, 6/9)   Modesto Bee: PFAS And Bifenthrin Found In Stanislaus County Waters Pesticides linked to cancer were found in 88% of surface water samples in Stanislaus County, according to a recent analysis. (Bisharyan, 6/8)   Los Angeles Times: 'It's An Injustice': Shrinking State Funds Could Slow Fixes For Californians With Toxic Water California is set to reduce funding for a program that helps communities with contaminated water. Critics say it will stall progress. (James, 6/10)   CalMatters: The Chemical That Caused The Garden Grove Evacuations Is Stored All Over California A CalMatters review of federal data from the EPA found 14 facilities stored methyl methacrylate in California in 2024.   (Reyes-Velarde, 6/9)   The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Mold Found By Inspectors At Sebastopol Regional Library After Abrupt Closure With Little Explanation The library branch abruptly closed with little public explanation. (Windsor, 6/8) Science and Research EdSource: University Of California Pushes For $12B Scientific Research Bond To Counter Federal Cuts Amid federal cuts and funding uncertainties, the University of California is advocating for a state bond to fund scientific research projects at California universities. (Burke, 6/5)   Stat: HHS Confirms Americans With High-Risk Ebola Exposures Will Have Access To Experimental Therapy The antibody treatment, known as MBP-134, is made by San Diego-based Mapp Biopharmaceuticals. (Branswell, 6/4) Other California News Los Angeles Times: Disability Rights Advocates Protest Proposed Cuts To In-Home Support Services Disability rights advocates gathered outside the state Capitol to push back on Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed cuts to in-home supportive services. (King, 6/8)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: Baby Who Was Delivered By Emergency C-Section After Mother Fatally Shot Dies In Hospital The woman was approximately 32 weeks pregnant when she was shot in the head May 30 outside a short-term vacation rental in Bay Park.(Kucher, 6/8)   The Union: Man Living Entirely On Foraged Food To Visit Nevada City On Thursday For one year Robin Greenfield is foraging every bite of his food and medicine. A year without grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies or even a garden. (6/9) KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.   (c) 2026 KFF. 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