Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide
Name: Tina McKinnor
Current job title: Assemblymember, District 61
Political party affiliation: Democrat
Incumbent: Yes
Other political positions held: Assemblymember District 62 and Member, Coastal Conservancy
City where you reside: Hawthorne, CA
Campaign website or social media: https://www.tina4ca.com/
It’s no secret that California will play an outsized role in AI development and regulation. That was a big topic for the legislature this year, but what is one way you’d like to see the legislature tackle concerns about bias or transparency in the AI space or encourage innovation and start-ups? (Please be specific in your response, and keep your answer to 200 words or less.)
Protecting the data privacy of our children should be prioritized as AI continues to grow around the world. As we discover new AI innovations, we must also ensure that we are protecting the rapidly monetized data of our children.
Before California voters this year is a proposition to increase the state’s minimum wage to $18 per hour, the nation’s highest, by 2026. Do you support increasing the minimum wage in this way? Why or why not? (Please keep your answer to 150 words or less.)
Yes – We are all aware that even with the minimum, it is not possible for an individual or family to live comfortably above the poverty line with the costs of inflation and housing throughout the state. Supporting a minimum and living wage will allow greater opportunity for success for industry and workers.
This year, California faced a large budget deficit that put a strain on lawmakers’ ability to fund certain programs and projects going forward. What is one thing you believe the state should do to avoid such large deficits in the future? (Please be specific in your answer, and limit it to 150 words or less.)
I strongly opposed legislative efforts this year to repeal Prop. 47 and related policies that will result in the mass incarceration of Black and brown Californians. California’s failed tough on crime policies of the 1990’s should not be repeated. This year’s Prop. 36 will cost California taxpayers billions of dollars to keep non-violent, non-serious, non-sex offenders in prison. While we were able to balance this year’s state budget responsibly, if Prop. 36 passes, it will force a multi-billion dollar tax increase on Californians or require devastating cuts to public education, the environment, our work to end homelessness and other essential programs that we all rely upon.
Speaking of the budget, there are multiple proposed bond measures before voters this year. Is the state in a good place to issue bonds for state programs and infrastructure projects? Should certain programs or projects be prioritized over others? (Please be specific in your response, and keep your answer to 200 words or less.)
As a general rule, I am wary of an over-reliance on bonds because bonds are debt. This year, I did vote to place Prop. 2 (school bond) and Prop. 4 (climate bond) on the ballot to address the urgent dual crisis of California’s aging public school infrastructure and our environment. These bonds will have extensive public oversight, create union jobs and help us make a necessary one time investment that will serve our state for a generation.
Cost of living is high on the list of concerns among voters, particularly among younger people. What is one bipartisan proposal you have to alleviate concerns about high prices or the cost of living in California? (Please be specific in your response, and limit it to 200 words.)
In California, there are nearly four million borrowers who owe $156 billion in federal and private student loans. The student debt crisis is making it more difficult for graduates to rent their first apartment, buy a home or start a family. California should expand our work to encourage more students to enroll in our community colleges and expand transfer agreements with the UC and CSU to help more students get their college degree without the long term burdens and negative economic impacts of excessive student debt.
The legislature this year considered recommendations from a first-in-the-nation task force that considered how California could atone for past racism and discrimination against Black people, including potential compensation. What do you believe is the role of the state in atoning for the atrocities committed against Black people? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
As a direct descendant of enslaved people, I carry their pain, sacrifice and resilience in my heart. I fully support reparations for the descendants of formerly enslaved people in the United States. Reparations are not just one thing. No single action can repair the physical and emotional harm, or undo the generational economic damage, inflicted upon my family and millions of Black Americans who suffered through slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the War on Drugs. Reparations are many things, which is why the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) stood united this year and authored an impactful and thoughtful reparations legislative package of fourteen bills that begin the work of all Californians and all Americans to right the wrongs of the past. The CLBC and I will continue this work and show national leadership in finding healing and hope for families who have and continue to suffer from the legacy of slavery.
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently ordered state agencies to remove homeless encampments on state property and urged cities to follow through. What else do you propose the state do to help eradicate homelessness? (Please limit your response to 200 words or less.)
We are never going to end homelessness and poverty in California without giving residents the resources they need to care for themselves. A living wage is the best and most equitable way to give all Californians the dignity of being able to care for themselves and their family.
Similarly, Gov. Gavin Newsom has urged county leaders to take advantage more of a new state law that makes it easier to place someone with severe mental health or substance abuse issues into conservatorships, an effort to keep more people out of homelessness. But local leaders in Southern California have said they need more time and resources to build, fund and staff more mental health facilities. Is there anything the legislature could — or should — do to aid communities struggling to find the resources to properly provide this type of mental health support? (Please be specific in your answer, and limit the response to 200 words or less.)
We should be making sustainable investments in CARE Courts and other programs that help Californians suffering from severe mental health or substance abuse. If voters pass Prop. 36, California will face multi-billion dollar deficits for years because we will be forced to open more state prisons instead of offering supportive services through CARE Courts and similar programs. I would prefer to see the state invest in preventing homelessness and addiction, rather than making another failed attempt at treating addiction and severe mental health issues in our state prison system.
What’s the No. 1 song on your playlist while you’re on the campaign trail?
Texas Hold ‘Em, Beyonce Or Not Like Us, Kendrick Lamar
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