Local View: A chat with Robb Korinke

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Robb Korinke is a Long Beach, California-based political consultant, specializing in candidate and ballot measure campaigns. He is also the co-founder (with Mike Madrid) of GrassrootsLab, and co-publisher of several local politics-focused publications, including CaliforniaCityNews.org, CaliforniaCountyNews.org. He has also recently joined the California Target Book as a co-editor. With those bonafides he’s one of our first calls whenever we want to talk local politics.

And, with the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act on the November 2024 ballot – or not – it was time to call Robb. The measure, backed by the California Business Roundtable, would dramatically change California governments’ ability to levy taxes and assign fees, and – of paramount importance for locals – would raise the margin for local tax measures from a simple majority to two thirds. But, will it stay on the ballot?

The Newsom administration, the Legislature and others have challenged the legality of the measure, arguing that the sweeping changes it outlines would amount to a revision of the constitution, not a simple amendment. The California Supreme Court heard arguments in the case last week, and now local officials are left to wait and see if the measure that they are calling “an existential threat” will be removed from the ballot or face voters in November. We discuss that and much more.

:53 Legal battle of Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act

4:41 A difficult time for local governments

6:02 Is there a middle ground solution?

7:50 Spending/Costs

10:17 You can’t go home again: The failure of the Capitol to local pipeline

12:02 Ascendance of Progressives in local politics

14:59 KDL vs. Ysabel Jurado

15:46 California City News and California County News

20:46 Everybody loves to talk about Huntington Beach

23:04 Expanding the LA City Council?

24:53 the Target Book

26:49 Lung Association

29:19 Worst Week in CA Politics – Trouble in Hesperia