A Los Angeles measure that would cap pay of hospital executives received more than the minimum number of valid voter signatures required to qualify for presentation to the City Council and potentially end up on a city ballot, election officials confirmed to Becker's.
A June 5 letter provided by the city clerk's office shows 237,359 signatures were filed and 205,144 were verified. The council now has 20 days to act on the measure. The council could place the measure on a future special election or regular election ballot or adopt the measure. The city's next regularly scheduled primary nominating election is in March.
The measure, backed by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, would cap hospital executive pay at the compensation of the U.S. president, or $450,000 per year. The California Hospital Association filed suit challenging the measure, arguing the U.S. president earns more when factoring in travel expenses, discretionary funds and residence in the White House. The CHA argued the alleged mismatched numbers constitute "calculated untruths" that misled voters who were asked to sign the petition. In April, a Los Angeles judge denied the hospital association's challenge.
The measure would apply to executives, managers and administrators of privately owned hospitals and other healthcare facilities in Los Angeles.