Thanks to Proposition 13, a supermajority (2/3) is required in the California assembly and senate in order to pass any legislation which raises taxes. Hence the term “healthy majority”, coined by the California single payer movement, describes the supermajority necessary to pass a single payer bill with accompanying tax increases to finance the conversion to a single payer healthcare system. The other option, exemplified by SB810, is to pass a bill with a simple majority that outlines a California single payer system but does not contain the financing legislation (tax increases) that would necessitate a supermajority. A ballot initiative could then be used to obtain the financing for the bill.

Calitics, a progressive open source news organization for California politics, recently published an outlook for the next legislative election cycle. In the report, they describe several key senate and assembly districts to watch: SD 12 and 15, and then AD 5, 26, and 30. If all were to go to the Democrats, we could achieve a healthy majority, assuming we did not lose any incumbent democratic seats.

These are the races which the Healthy Majority single payer campaign has targeted this legislative cycle:

AD 30: Incumbent Danny Gilmore (R) vs Challenger Fran Florez (D) *** Healthy Majority Choice
(East) Bakersfield, Delano, Hanford, Kettleman City, Lost Hills

AD 68: Incumbent Van Tran (R) vs challenger Phu Nguyen (D) *** Healthy Majority Choice
Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Stanton, Westminster

SD 12: Incumbent Jeff Denham (R) vs challenger Anne Caballero (D) *** Healthy Majority
Hollister, King City, Merced, Modesto, Salinas, Turlock.

SD 15: Incumbent Abel Maldonado (R) vs challenger John Laird (D) *** Healthy Majority
Atascadero, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach