$7.5-billion mini-NIH plan goes to California voters under bill signed by Newsom

Key Points:

• California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill to place a $7.5-billion state scientific research bond measure on the March 2028 ballot, aiming to create a state research arm similar to the National Institutes of Health.
• The fund would support research in areas such as cancer, Parkinson’s, ALS, wildfire risk reduction, pandemics, and climate change, countering federal research cuts from the Trump administration.
• The bond measure, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener, was reduced from an initial $23 billion proposal to $7.5 billion after legislative negotiations and delays prevented it from appearing on the November ballot.
• The initiative is backed by major institutions and unions, including the University of California, the Union of American Physicians, and the United Auto Workers Local 4811, emphasizing its broad coalition support.
• The fund will also implement regulations to recoup some investments without hindering innovation, aiming to sustain California’s leadership in scientific research and economic growth.