2021: A Year in Review
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

NC Council of Churches

Strength in Unity, Peace through Justice

  • Voices
  • About
    • Overview
    • Staff
    • Members
    • Covenant Partners
    • Issue Statements
    • Governing Board
  • Programs
    • NC Interfaith Power & Light
      • NCIPL Overview
      • Faith in Action NCIPL
      • NCIPL Articles
      • NCIPL Resources
      • Upcoming Events for NCIPL
      • Contact NCIPL
    • Partners in Health & Wholeness
      • PHW Staff
      • Mini-Grants
      • PHW Collaborative Pledge
      • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
      • Mental Health Advocacy
      • BIPOC Mental Health Grant
      • Growing Communities of Inclusion: A Faithful Response to HIV
      • Citizen Science
      • PHW Articles
      • FAQs
  • Priorities
    • Racial Justice
    • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
    • Gun Violence Prevention
    • Criminal Justice
    • Immigrant Rights
    • Public Education
    • Farmworkers
    • Legislative Advocacy
    • Christian Unity
    • Peace
  • Events
  • Resources
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Publications & Reports
    • Raleigh Report
    • Lectionary
    • Sermons
  • Donate
  • Council Store
  • Show Search

Search NC Council of Churches

Hide Search

Now at stake: money, schools, power

Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate · October 26, 2021 · 1 Comment

Click here to sign up to receive the Raleigh Report in your inbox

Here in the last week of October, almost four months after a new state budget was supposed to have been in place and with multiple plot-lines coming to a head, North Carolina’s government is like a somewhat rickety aircraft stressed to the limits amid a thunderstorm.

Not only that, but there’s fighting in the cockpit!

  • Republican chiefs in the General Assembly and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper seem to be in the final stages of negotiating a budget that Cooper – for a change – won’t feel obliged to veto.
  • Figuring in the talks has been a possible broadening of the state’s Medicaid program, as the governor to his credit long as sought and his legislative foes long have resisted. From Cooper’s standpoint, simply getting to the point of considering Medicaid expansion that would improve health care access for many thousands of low-income citizens has to represent progress, compared to legislators’ flat-out refusals in recent years. 
  • In tandem with the budget dispute is the latest chapter in the state’s long struggle over funding for public schools – in particular, those schools serving high proportions of economically challenged families and communities.
  • A judge who oversees the state’s response to a court ruling that aimed to bolster    schools in high-poverty districts is threatening to force the legislature’s hand if it doesn’t include more public education funds in the pending budget deal.
  • Legislators already accuse Superior Court Judge David Lee of overstepping his authority, so we could be on the brink of a massive collision between branches of government. What’s at stake is nothing less than the ability of many thousands of students to get the “sound basic” education to which the state Supreme Court has said they’re constitutionally entitled.
  • As if the turbulence over the budget and its school finance provisions weren’t serious enough, the legislature is moving toward decisions that could profoundly affect the make-up of the state’s congressional delegation and the General Assembly itself for years to come. As required so that every vote carries more or less equal weight, new congressional and legislative voting districts are being drawn in accord with population growth and shifts revealed by the 2020 census.
  • Here’s the question: Will Republicans seeking to shape districts in their candidates’ favor resort to the kind of gerrymandering that courts repeatedly have found to be unconstitutional in discriminating against African-American voters and in some instances against voters who happen to be Democrats? Voting rights advocates, including groups such as the N.C. Council of Churches, hope to see the process end with all voters given a fair chance to influence the choice of their elected leaders and thus the policies that have an inside track toward adoption.

Budget conflicts

Gov. Cooper in 2019 vetoed the legislature’s last stab at passing a budget according to the usual two-year schedule, and his Democratic allies in the state House and Senate joined in sufficient numbers to block Republican attempts at a veto override.

The deal-breakers for the governor boiled down to low-ball expenditures for public schools, including teacher pay; tax cuts that continued to hamper the state’s ability to invest in a range of programs; and a refusal to expand Medicaid despite the anticipated health and economic benefits.

Since then, the pandemic has put North Carolina through a tragic stress test. Gaps between our affluent, metro-area counties and their rural, small-town counterparts – gaps in health care, job opportunities, school quality – have been magnified. A new openness to Medicaid expansion on the part of some Republican legislators – encouraged by GOP officials in several mountain counties hammered by the virus and loss of jobs – could be an understandable response.

But if expansion still doesn’t have enough support to be included in the budget that’s now in final talks, as it may well not, at least advocates could push for an agreement to have it fully considered as a stand-alone measure. There can be no credible objections to accepting a huge new infusion of federal Medicaid funds for which the state would qualify, or to improving health-care access for people who now typically can’t afford even the routine care that many among us take for granted.

Fairer for teachers?

The budget being negotiated is packaged as Senate Bill 105. Technically, it’s in a conference committee where differences between versions approved by the House and Senate are supposed to be resolved. At last report, a consensus version had been presented to Cooper for his review and presumed counter-offer. If there is a deal, it seems certain to include raises for teachers and other state employees that were delayed by the 2019 budget veto.

Republican legislators seem never to miss a chance to get crosswise with public school teachers – for instance, in their ongoing, misguided effort to require American history to be taught without referring to white racism as a key factor. But it would take a hard-hearted politician indeed to continue skimping on teachers’ salaries despite all the difficulties teachers have had to endure amid the pandemic as they did their duty on their students’ behalf. That’s doubly the case in the context of salaries that are mediocre at best in national rankings.

More pay for teachers is a component in the court-supervised plan to address the school shortcomings identified via the Leandro lawsuit. That plan, approved by Judge Lee in June, calls for an additional $5.6 billion in public education spending over the next seven years. The allotment for the first two years would be $1.75 billion, helping attract and retain well-qualified school personnel, boost pre-K programs and strengthen school systems in poorer areas.

Legislative proposals have come up well short of that, with the House recommending a reported $752.1 million during the first two years and the Senate $405.0 million. Lee has maintained that’s not good enough. During a court hearing on Oct. 18, he asserted his authority to compel the legislature to honor the school-improvement plan he endorsed in June, but said he’d defer any action at least until Nov. 8 to see how the budget talks play out.

Top legislative Republicans have bristled at Lee’s claim of authority to direct state spending. But there are several precedents in other states where judges have intervened forcefully to uphold students’ right under their state constitution to attend schools well-enough funded to meet their needs. With North Carolina sitting on a budget surplus pegged at more than $6 billion, legislators’ excuses for non-compliance with the spending increase Lee has agreed is necessary seem, well, lame.

District decisions

These are the same legislators who have charge of the ticklish process of reconfiguring their own voting districts, as well as the districts from which North Carolina’s members of the U.S. House are elected. Call it a coincidence, but a sorry one, that our state for the last three decades has been ground zero for legal battles over redistricting. The recurring argument involves the extent to which the General Assembly’s majority party has abused its line-drawing prerogatives to give its candidates the upper hand.

So long as redistricting is entrusted to the legislature, in which one party calls the shots and the other is more or less limited to baying at the moon, giving districts a partisan tilt is perhaps to be expected. Yet redistricting as carried out under Republican control during the last 10-year cycle not only was unfair, it was an utter failure of fairness. That was the judgment rendered by state and federal courts when the voting maps were challenged on constitutional grounds.

The current process should be conducted in accord with standards laid down in the course of those lawsuits. In particular, African-American voters – who tend to vote Democratic – or others who simply are registered Democrats aren’t supposed to be “packed” into specially tailored districts so as to dilute their influence in adjacent districts where Republican candidates would have clear sailing. Nor are they supposed to be “cracked” or scattered among districts in ways that undercut their voices at the polls.

Meaningful public input while maps were being drafted would have made the process more credible. But public involvement, via hearings and access to map-drawing at the Legislative Building, has been mostly an opaque exercise in going through the motions despite an upsurge of criticism from fair-districting advocates.

In the state’s congressional elections last year, the overall Democratic vote total edged the GOP total. The split was 50.0 percent Democratic versus 49.4 percent Republican. Yet because of gerrymandered U.S. House districts, Democrats have had to settle for minority status in the delegation North Carolina sends to Washington. That delegation now stands at 8-5 with Republicans in the advantage. (There had been 10 Republicans since the elections of 2014, although the party’s share of the overall vote wasn’t as large.)

Since the state’s growing population means it will gain another House seat in the 2022 elections, what will the new margin be? Some maps proposed by legislative leaders reportedly would be expected to result in as many as 10 or 11 Republican wins — significant in a closely divided Congress. Concentrations of Democratic voters in metro counties would be parceled out into separate districts, reducing their influence.

Much attention throughout the country has focused on Republican efforts – dancing to the tune of the disgraced former president – to tighten up on voting laws so as to make it harder for Democratic-leaning citizens to vote or for their votes to be fairly counted. That’s in itself a stinging and intolerable insult to our system of government.

To that insult can be added the injury of voting districts pre-cooked to yield results sustaining the power and influence of those who drew the lines. Those of us who believe that the principles of the U.S. Constitution, as idealistic as they may be, are worth upholding in the interests of all cannot stand back and allow this legislature yet again to stack the redistricting deck without hearing our demand: “Don’t do it!”

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

About Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Much goes on in North Carolina's state capital that's important to the Council of Churches. I'm glad to have a chance to help follow the action, transitioning from my career with The News & Observer of Raleigh, where I retired in 2012 as editorial page editor. I'm originally from Virginia but have lived in Cary so long I remember the Kildaire Farm barn.

Read more of my commentary here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rev. Dr. Aloha Smith says

    October 26, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    Thank you for this. My membership in the League of Women Voters has given me easy access to the Princeton Project on voter mapping, giving NC a resounding failing grade in all categories.
    I would like to understand how the Colorado re-mapping process could acquire and disseminate information in dozens of communities around that rocky state, while in NC, only limited input was allowed to us.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Anonymous comments or comments that target individuals will not be posted (please include your first and last name). All comments must be on topic and respectful. Comments will not be posted until they have been reviewed by a moderator. Comments do not reflect the positions of the NC Council of Churches.

Footer

Contact

NC Council of Churches
27 Horne St.
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-6501
info@ncchurches.org

Facebook

Partners in Health and Wholeness

Featured

Now at stake: money, schools, power

Latest Tweets

Your Vote is Your Voice! Learn more this morning with Blueprint NC’s Executive Director, Serena Sebring. We will hear about the political movement and how we can take action. Register for our #2022CriticalIssues at the link! bit.ly/3KZgi7z pic.twitter.com/OUND…

About 2 days ago

This morning! Join us with speakers @MarcusLFairley and @MarcusBassNC from @NCBlackAlliance at the #2022CriticalIssues where they will discuss the challenges of voter suppression and access to the polls. Register and join! google.com/url?q=htt… pic.twitter.com/qNcl…

About 3 days ago

RT @DanBlueNC We’re in crisis. Our kids are in crisis. Banning books isn’t the answer. We need to keep guns out of the hands of the wrong hands. We need to hire enough mental health providers to support students. We need to act #nced #ncpol

About 4 days ago

Happening all this week! There is still time to register for the event and attend every day at noon! #2022CriticalIssues ncchurches.ourpowerb… pic.twitter.com/gOCi…

About 4 days ago

We continue to work on various issues in NC and we want to share with you even more information about the accomplishments you helped us achieve in 2021! We hope you will look for places you can join us on this faith-filled journey. ncchurches.org/resou…

About 5 days ago

Follow @ncchurches

Latest Tweets

Join us for Sacred Conversations: Older Adults - Fraud & Scams on Friday, June 24th from 11 AM to 12 PM and learn to recognize common scams targeted towards older adults and how to protect yourself and those in your faith communities. ncchurches.ourpowerb…

About 4 days ago

RT @FaithCompassWFU Consider becoming an HIV & Faith Ambassador! To learn more, plan to join us for a virtual information session on 05/18 at 2 PM, 06/30 at 2 PM, or on 07/20 at 11 AM, all EST. Register now: bit.ly/FaithAmbInfo #faithandHIV #faithcompassWFU #transformthestory pic.twitter.com/oZo7…

About 2 weeks ago

Join us now Attorney General Josh Stein for a virtual conversation, “A Faith-Based harm Reduction Approach to the Opioid Crisis.” youtube.com/watch?v=…

Last month

RT @NCAGO Join Attorney General @JoshStein_ today at 1 p.m. for a discussion on a faith-based harm reduction approach to the opioid crisis with representatives of Olive Branch Ministries. Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webi… pic.twitter.com/XB05…

Last month

Register here! #phw #MentalHealthAwareness ncchurches.ourpowerb… pic.twitter.com/VTN7…

Last month

Follow @healthandfaith

Latest Tweets

RT @interfaithpower We believe elections are a referendum on the values that will shape our future. Join us June 9 for a conversation about our multi-issue Faithful Voter Reflection Guide. Register: ow.ly/PnPg50Jjz6h #FaithClimateJusticeVoter #Vote2022 #VoteReady

About 2 days ago

RT @ncchurches Happening all this week! There is still time to register for the event and attend every day at noon! #2022CriticalIssues ncchurches.ourpowerb… pic.twitter.com/gOCi…

About 4 days ago

RT @mocleanair Read our editorial in @GeorgiaRecorder. georgiarecorder.com/… @EnergyFdn @GCVoters @cleanenergyorg @GeorgiaIPL @gasierraclub @CleanAirMoms_GA @PSEquityMatters @SouthfaceInst @GAChapterAAP @CEHN @docsforclimate @enviRN @schoolnurses @uwomenfaith @eldersclimate @NCIPL @AlabamaPJC

Last week

RT @mocleanair Comments due in 3 days - if you haven't submitted one yet, do it today! For tips, read our blog about the different kinds of air pollution heavy duty vehicles make. #HealthyAirIsHealthCare #CleanAir @CEHN @TheOxygenProj @eldersclimate @uwomenfaith @GeorgiaIPL @AlabamaPJC @NCIPL twitter.com/mocleana…

Last week

RT @WECAN_INTL 📢Today, Indigenous women leaders & 200+ groups sent a letter calling on @USACEHQ to deny the permits for Line 5, conduct a federal EIS & respect Indigenous rights! To protect communities, water & our climate we must #StopLine5. Learn more👉bit.ly/3MBazW4 pic.twitter.com/FqeQ…

Last week

Follow @ncipl

Latest Tweets

Copyright © 2022 NC Council of Churches · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design · Hosted by WP Engine