Proposition 72 Archive
Election Wrap-Up: Proposition 72 Debriefing
What is Proposition 72?
How does it effect working Californians? How will it work?
How to take action to support Prop 72
Prop 72 in the news
Health Access Publications on Prop 72
Supporters of Prop 72
Opposition to Prop 72
Proposition 72 in the Latino Community
Proposition 72 Flyers in different languages
More Prop 72 info on Health Vote 2004 (California Health Care Foundation)
Information on SB2, the Health Insurance Act of 2003
Get more facts on Prop 72, view television ads, see who contributed to both the support and opposition, and get more facts and analysis
Reasons to Support California's SB2 Against a Referendum to Repeal It
TALKING POINTS ABOUT SB2: California Health Insurance Act of 2003
Health Coverage Impacts of SB2
Economic Impacts of SB2
Responses to Questions about SB2
What is Proposition 72? - top -
Also known as SB 2, the Health Insurance Act of 2003, Proposition 72 protects and expands employer based health coverage for working Californians. Around 19 million Californians get health coverage through an employer, but are concerned about the rising worker premiums, or having coverage dropped altogether. Over 6 million Californians are uninsured, even though 80% of them are workers or their family members. Prop 72 will require more medium to large size employers to provide medical health insurance benefits to their employees or contribute to a statewide purchasing pool to provide health coverage to working Californians and their families.
How does it effect working Californians? How will it work? - top -
Proposition 72 will protect the on-the-job health coverage of millions of Californians, and extend health insurance benefits to nearly 20% of the uninsured population, an estimated 1.1 million working Californians.
While most employers provide health coverage to their workers, a few do not, leaving hundreds of thousands of working Californians uninsured. Those employers that do provide health coverage have started to shift the increase in premiums to their employees. Consequently, many individuals choose not to have health insurance coverage because they simply cannot afford the out-of-pocket costs of health coverage and services.
Additonally, Prop 72 will reward responsible companies who provide health insurance benefits to their employees by levelling the playing field with competitors.
Specifically here is what Prop 72 will require:
- By January, 2006, companies of 200 or more employees will be required to provide health insurance coverage to their workers adn their families.
- By January, 2007, companies of 50 or more employees will be required to comply.
- Prop 72 will require all medium to large size employers to pay at least 80% of the cost of the premiums for health benefits.
- Prop 72 will ensure that workers get coverage for preventative care, major medical, and prescription drugs.
How to take action to support Prop 72 - top -
- The easiest way is to register to vote. You can do so online at http://www.ss.ca.gov/
- You can donate to the Prop 72 campaign by going to the official Prop 72 Website and click on "Contribute."
- Get updates and stay informed on Prop 72 events by filling in your email address at the Prop 72 Website in the "Stay Informed" box on the home page.
- To join the "Save Your Health Care" coalition of Prop 72 supporters fill out the form here.
- Send out a "MoveOn.org style email" to your email list for Prop 72. We have a template you can use. Just click here to read the instructions on getting out the word to people you know.
- Does your organization send out newsletters? If so and you would like to include an article about Prop 72, you can click here and use this template.
Prop 72 in the News - top -
Exposed "Scare Tactics" Reveals Deception by Opponents of Prop 72's Health Care Protections
You might have seen an ad against Proposition 72, the measure to ensure that workers in large and medium size companies get private health care coverage on the job. The ad features a woman talking about the impact of Proposition 72 on “her” restaurant.
There’s one problem: it’s wrong.
- She’s an actress, not a restaurant owner. Check out the article in the San Francisco Chronicle on Monday, October 4, 2004: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/10/04/BAG9S93CAE1.DTL
- She’s in a small restaurant that employs 12 people, and thus would be exempt from Prop 72 since it is under 50 employees. The restaurant would have to more than quadruple its size in order even to be subject to Prop 72. Over 93% of restaurants have less than 50 employees and would be exempt.
- She’s just wrong. She says she provides “good benefits” but would still have to pay money. If an employer provides good benefits (as most large and medium size businesses do), they would not have to pay any more under Prop 72.
- She’s dead wrong. She says she would be “forced” into a “government-run” system. If an employer provides good benefits, nothing in Proposition 72 would require her to change the coverage they provide workers in any way. She has the option of joining a statewide purchasing pool, but even that would provide a choice of private plans.
Author of Fast Food Nation Reveals Super-Size Deception
Why has McDonald's, of all companies, become the biggest opponent of an critical health care law supported by doctors, nurses, and consumer groups? McDonald’s and its franchisees have given $1.4 million to oppose Proposition 72, an important measure that would protect the coverage that millions of Californians get on-the-job, extend such coverage to one million more California workers and family members, and provide fairness for employers and taxpayers that often must bear the cost of paying for the health care of those employers that do not provide coverage. The author of the critically-acclaimed book "Fast Food Nation" provides a revealing look at the measure's opposition in this recent Los Angeles Times editorial.
Check out his article here at the Health Access Updates page.
Health Access Publications on Prop 72 - top -
YES on Prop 72: Keep Health Care on-the-job; Reject the Scare Tactics - Click here to read
FACT SHEET: The Future of Employer - Based Coverage in California
Supporters of Prop 72 - top -
Over 100 organizations representing consumers, seniors, doctors, nurses, and communities around the state have endorsed the YES on Prop 72 campaign. In order to have your organization listed as an endorser go to the Prop 72 Website and fill in your organization's details. You can also sign up as an individual supporter once you visit the site.
Opposition to Prop 72 - top -
The major opposition to Prop 72 are large corporations that don't provide health coverage to all their employees, including fast food companies like McDonald's. If you would like to see their campaign against Prop 72, please see their website at http://www.stopthehealthtax.org/.
The opposition raised over $18.3 million dollars. But while the opposition was deep-pocketed, it wasn't widespread: over 82% of the opposition's money came from just the thirty contributors that gave over $100,000. Only restaurants and retailers mobilized their money against Proposition, donating nearly 85% of the opposition's funding. Fast-food chains made up over 30% of the contributions, not including their umbrella organization, the California Restaurant Association. Retailers made up over 18%. Much thanks to Rafael Ruthchild of the Strategy Group for pulling these figures together.
BELOW is a list of the top thirty-three contributors against Proposition 72, those that gave $100,000 or more. The list is striking for the range of recognizable brand names on it:
CALIFORNIA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION $5,042,000
MCDONALDS AND FRANCHISEES $1,535,128
YUM! BRANDS AND FRANCHISEES [KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell] $970,320
CARL'S JR. AND FRANCHISEES $760,250
WAL*MART STORES, INC. $648,449
ROUND TABLE PIZZA AND FRANCHISEES $569,550
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE AND FRANCHISEES $528,000
ROBINSON-MAY $400,000
SEARS ROEBUCK AND CO. $400,000
MACY*S WEST, INC. $400,000
TARGET CORPORATION $350,000
CALIFORNIA BUSINESS PROPERTIES ASSOCIATION $325,000
WENDY'S AND FRANCHISEES $323,000
JACK IN THE BOX AND FRANCHISEES $313,610
BEST BUY PURCHASING LLC $300,000
EL POLLO LOCO AND FRANCHISEES $234,500
JACK IN THE BOX AND FRANCHISEES $313,610
CALIFORNIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS PAC $255,000
J.C. PENNEY $200,000
DARDEN RESTAURANT INC. [Olive Garden, Red Lobster] $200,000
MICHAEL'S STORES $190,000
DEL TACO $159,500
BURGER KING CORP. $156,899
LOWE'S $150,000IN-N-OUT BURGERS $145,000
GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER'S CALIFORNIA RECOVERY TEAM $123,608
APPLEBEE'S AND FRANCHISEES $114,000
CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN, INC. $100,000
AUTOZONE $100,000
OFFICE DEPOT $100,000
WALGREENS $100,000
NORDSTROM $100,000
CEC ENTERTAINMENT, INC. [Chuck E. Cheese] $100,000
Proposition 72 in the Latino Community - top -
The Latino Issues Forum is a strong supporter of Prop 72. You can download flyers and information in English and in Spanish. These documents relate to how Prop 72 effects the Latino Community. For more info please visit the Latino Issues Forum Website at http://www.lif.org.
Prop 72 flyer in Spanish or in English | Prop 72 facts in Spanish or in English
Proposition 72 Flyers in different languages - top -
Yes on Prop 72 Flyer (English)
DOWNLOAD (PDF) |
Yes on Prop 72 - Multilingual (Spanish)
DOWLOAD (PDF) |
Yes on Prop 72 - Interfaith (English)
DOWNLOAD (PDF) |
Yes on Prop 72 - Interfaith (Spanish)
DOWNLOAD (PDF) |
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Yes on Prop 72 (Vietnamese)
DOWNLOAD (PDF) |
Yes on Prop 72 (Vietnamese/English)
DOWNLOAD (PDF) |
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