Prop. 38 explained: An $8.4 billion bond for medical research into cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's
Half the money would go to a UC-affiliated institute chosen by the state public health department and half to research grants. Repayment would run about $500 million a year for 20 years.
By the Bay Area Brief staff · Edited by Seamus McKenna · · 2 min read
California State Capitol in Sacramento. Photo: Andre m / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped, resized and color-graded). Archive photo of the area; not a photo of the events in this story.
Proposition 38 asks California voters to approve $8.4 billion in general obligation bonds for medical and immunology research.
Why it matters: Bay Area universities and research hospitals are among the largest potential recipients of state research dollars, and the measure adds a long-term repayment obligation to the state budget.
Where the money goes
Half would go to a University of California-affiliated institute selected by the California Department of Public Health; half would be awarded as grants through a council, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office.
At least $4.2 billion is directed to research on cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's.
No more than 2% may be spent on administration.
Cost
KQED's voter guide puts repayment at roughly $500 million a year for about 20 years.
The arguments
Supporters say the bond would give researchers stable funding at a time when federal research money has become unreliable.
Sources: Legislative Analyst's Office; KQED.
Sources
This article is an original summary based on the following reporting. We encourage readers to visit the original sources for full coverage.
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