California Proposition 72, Employer Contribution to Healthcare Insurance Referendum (2004)

California Proposition 72
Election date November 2, 2004
Topic Healthcare
Status d Defeated
Type Referendum	Origin Citizens

California Proposition 72 was on the ballot as a veto referendum in California on November 2, 2004. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote was to uphold the law requiring employers of a certain size (based on number of employees) to provide health insurance to their employees or pay a fee for the state to purchase health insurance for their employees.

A "no" vote was to repeal the law requiring employers of a certain size (based on number of employees) to provide health insurance to their employees or pay a fee for the state to purchase health insurance for their employees.

Election results

California Proposition 72
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		5,709,500	49.22%
No		5,889,936	50.78%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition 72 was as follows:

“

Healthcare Coverage Requirements. Referendum.

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for this measure was:

“

Provides for individual and dependent health care coverage for employees, as specified, working for large and medium employers; Requires that employers pay at least 80% of coverage cost; maximum 20% employee contribution; Requires employers to pay for health coverage or pay fee to medical insurance board that purchases primarily private health coverage; Applies to employers with 200 or more employees beginning 1/1/06; Applies to employers with 50 to 199 employees beginning 1/1/07. Applies to employers with 20 to 49 employees if tax credit enacted.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Fiscal impact statement

The following was the fiscal impact statement:

“

Expenditures fully offset by fee revenues paid mainly by employers, which could range from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars annually, to fund a new state program primarily to purchase private health insurance coverage. Reduction in county health program costs potentially in the low hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Uncertain net fiscal impact on state-supported health programs. Increased costs potentially in the low hundreds of millions of dollars annually for state and local public agencies to provide additional health coverage for their employees. Net reduction in state tax revenues potentially in the low hundreds of millions of dollars. In summary, unknown net savings or costs to state and local government.

”

Path to the ballot

In California, the number of signatures required for a veto referendum is equal to 5 percent of the votes cast at the preceding gubernatorial election. For veto referendums filed in 2004, at least 373,816 valid signatures were required.Proponents of the veto referendum had 90 days from the date that the bill was signed to collect signatures.

See also

2004 Measures

• 2004 Measures
• Fees on the ballot
• licenses on the ballot
• and charges on the ballot
• Private health insurance on the ballot
• 2004 legislative sessions

California

• California ballot measures
• California ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• November 2004 General Election Voter Guide