A recent state Supreme Court ruling just made passing local tax hikes a whole lot easier. If a tax increase is proposed by a citizens' group instead of local government, it might now require only a simple majority to pass, not two-thirds. It's hard to get support from two-thirds of voters, so many tax hike proposals over the years have been stymied by the requirement. On this week’s podcast, Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts discuss Monday’s bombshell ruling and the impact it could have on some of the city's biggest issues — from the proposed Convention Center expansion to the the future of the Qualcomm Stadium site. Also on the podcast, Keatts sits down with Steve Govett, president of a new professional lacrosse franchise in San Diego. They talk about how the departure of the San Diego Chargers has opened up opportunities for other professional sports teams and more. "For those people that are pissed off that they lost something in their lives, give us a shot," Govette said. "You may get something else." Keatts also listens to a band I told him about, and admits that Japanese pop music mixed with hardcore metal is good. Hero of the Week This week’s hero goes to the firefighters from San Diego County who were sent to Texas to help victims of Hurricane Harvey. Goat of the Week Local city and county officials get the goat this week for their lackluster response to the current Hepatitis A outbreak. So far, 15 people have died in San Diego.