President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) has introduced strict eligibility checks for Medicaid, threatening health coverage for nearly 200,000 vulnerable Californians due to increased paperwork. In response, healthcare unions and Senator Bernie Sanders are campaigning for a “billionaire tax”, a one-time 5% levy on assets over $1 billion, to fill the $100 billion federal funding gap. The proposal has deeply polarized the state, prompting high-profile tech figures like the Google co-founders to relocate their tax status to Florida. While business associations warn the tax will destabilize California’s economy and discourage investment, proponents argue it is the only way to protect rural hospitals and essential services from collapse
Date: February 18, 2026. Source: aljazeera.com