While sales tax increases aren't popular, supporters say this one is a lifeline to healthcare services in the county.
According to those who support the measure, the stakes couldn't be higher. Six of the 13 health clinics in Los Angeles County have already closed. The fear is that without Measure ER, more clinics will close, and possibly even a county hospital.
The 5.8 million registered voters in L.A. County have one week left to vote on Measure ER. If it passes, the measure would generate roughly $1 billion a year to support healthcare and other essential services.
"The healthcare cuts that have come from the federal government as a result of the Big Beautiful Bill, President Trump, are having devastating impacts on the healthcare of Angelenos. Many are losing their health insurance. Many clinics are closing, like this one here. And we're in the midst of the beginnings of a public health crisis," said Jim Mangia, the President of St. John's Community Health.
"The federal government has abandoned us. Frankly, the state government, through their May revise, provided no relief for the cuts levied upon us by HR 1," said L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell.
The Big Beautiful Bill will cut $1 trillion from Medicaid over 10 years starting early next year. Six of L.A. County's public health clinics have already closed after funding was cut to the CDC and HHS grants disappeared.
L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger is opposed to increasing taxes on county residents.
"This is a system-wide crisis, not just an L.A. County crisis. This measure is going to create a tax system in L.A. County where I've got two cities, Lancaster and Palmdale, they're going to be the highest taxed in the nation," Barger said. "You have the working class that are barely able to make ends meet, and this is just going to add an extra burden, and it's going to impact business. Because what's to stop someone, for example, in the Antelope Valley from going into Bakersfield to buy their goods?"
Although there are specific allocations for the money ER would generate to go to healthcare, the dollars collected will go into the county's general fund. Barger says surrounding counties have the same healthcare issues as L.A. County, which is why she wants the state to step up instead.
"I believe that the system as a whole needs to be looked at. You can't piecemeal. Nothing is going to stop people from coming into L.A. County to access healthcare," Barger said.
But, Supervisor Mitchell, who supports ER, believes the opposite will happen. She says clinics closing puts more pressure on emergency rooms.
"I've heard some critics say, 'Well, I'm not on Medi-Cal.' I appreciate that. But even if you have private pay health insurance, and you have an accident on the 110 Freeway, you want to be taken to the closest emergency room available. We don't want to compromise the emergency room," Mitchell said.
Supporters say when clinics close and patients lose access to care, emergency rooms get overcrowded, which then impacts everyone, even if you have the funds to pay for healthcare.