Depending on the context, it could be called poor sportsmanship. Or bullying. Or a flouting of democratic principles. Or even tyranny. Consider a situation in which a group of people are found to have violated certain rules. But the violators are able to change the rules in … [Read more...] about Governor Faces a Squeeze
About Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate
Power Push’s Troubling Twists
The current leaders of the North Carolina General Assembly – top members of the state House and Senate, all of them Republicans – rule with iron fists and aren’t squeamish about the tactics they use to hold and even magnify their power. Sadly for the rule of law and for the … [Read more...] about Power Push’s Troubling Twists
Voter ID Follows Budget Bulldozer
North Carolina’s new state budget – now on a fast track to final enactment by the Republican-controlled General Assembly over Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto – represents a miserable failure in open, accountable legislating. Apparently for the first time on record, a budget … [Read more...] about Voter ID Follows Budget Bulldozer
Marching for Schools, and for Children
They suited up in their red t-shirts, hoisted their homemade signs and coursed like a river through the heart of downtown Raleigh. Destination: The headquarters of North Carolina’s General Assembly. Message: Game on! Yes, May 16 was supposed to have been a school day. … [Read more...] about Marching for Schools, and for Children
Doing the School-money Shuffle
When the N.C. General Assembly convenes on May 16, legislators will be “welcomed” by a throng of advocates for high-quality public schools – teachers prominent among them. More power to these noble loud-mouths, and may they make headway in their against-the-tide quest for better … [Read more...] about Doing the School-money Shuffle
School Districts: Keeping It Together
Public education in North Carolina has its share of challenges, not the least of which has been the state’s ongoing failure to make sure that school systems in poorer communities receive the financial support they need. But in one major respect, the pattern by which most of … [Read more...] about School Districts: Keeping It Together
Public Schools’ Call to Quality – For All
It was perhaps the N.C. Supreme Court’s finest hour. In 1997, the high court held unanimously that North Carolina public school students are entitled under the state constitution to the “opportunity to receive a sound basic education.” In other words, it’s the state’s … [Read more...] about Public Schools’ Call to Quality – For All
On the Hot Seat, Where She Belongs
Ordinary Americans – those of us not allowed to know the secrets of high-level espionage work – at this point find it hard to judge accurately the accomplishments of Gina Haspel as she climbed through the ranks of the Central Intelligence Agency. President Trump, in nominating … [Read more...] about On the Hot Seat, Where She Belongs
Class Sizes and More: An Awkward Finale
As the General Assembly wraps up its weirdly timed and generally ill-conceived winter session, it would be nice to think that the grand dispute over class sizes in North Carolina’s public schools had been resolved in a way that met valid objections to legislators’ smaller-classes … [Read more...] about Class Sizes and More: An Awkward Finale
With Rights at Stake, Judges Stand Tall
The pattern has become familiar – and a welcome pattern it is, even if brought about by the Republican-controlled General Assembly’s relentless abuses of our democratic system. Call it, “Judges to the rescue!” Legislators have moved to make voting more difficult, to … [Read more...] about With Rights at Stake, Judges Stand Tall
Thumbs-up to Fairer Districts
Progress in rooting out North Carolina’s gerrymandered voting districts hasn’t always occurred in a straight line. But the trend – thanks to federal judges honoring their duty to uphold the Constitution – bodes well for giving all voters an equal chance to help choose their … [Read more...] about Thumbs-up to Fairer Districts
U.S. Court: Those Districts Won’t Fly
Grand constitutional questions in this country aren’t settled until the Supreme Court has its say, either by affirming or reversing the rulings of lower-court judges or simply by declining to hear challenges to those rulings. So it’s too early to conclude definitively that … [Read more...] about U.S. Court: Those Districts Won’t Fly
N.C. Judges on Trial
Well, here we go again. If the Republican-led General Assembly in 2017 focused on trying to exert its dominance over a freshly installed Democratic governor, then 2018 could bring the climax of legislative efforts to “reform” the courts. Translated, that means efforts to stack … [Read more...] about N.C. Judges on Trial
Torture Inquiry Hits Close to Home
The solid citizens of Johnston County, N.C. – in a fateful quirk of geography – for several years have faced an unusual dilemma: What to do about the local company whose airplanes and personnel helped the Central Intelligence Agency carry out an interrogation program featuring … [Read more...] about Torture Inquiry Hits Close to Home
Tax Plan Twist: Churches, Charities, Candidates
With Republicans on Capitol Hill and in the White House desperate to post a big legislative win, their push for so-called tax reform – the label being used to sugar-coat costly tax changes mostly benefiting profitable corporations and the wealthiest among us – has reached … [Read more...] about Tax Plan Twist: Churches, Charities, Candidates
GOP’s Goal: A Tilted Bench
To the Republicans who run the N.C. General Assembly, the concept of judicial independence – central to our bedrock American principle of checks and balances and to the rule of law – must seem as alien as the one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people-eater of vintage Top 40 … [Read more...] about GOP’s Goal: A Tilted Bench
Defenders of Rights; Defenders of Privilege
At many levels, Americans are confronting issues of race relations and racial justice with an intensity that echoes the climax of the civil rights movement five decades ago – as well as the violent urban protests that signaled black citizens’ impatience with the pace of … [Read more...] about Defenders of Rights; Defenders of Privilege
Post-Charlottesville: What Trump Said, and When
When President Trump stepped to a White House lectern on Monday and rebuked the instigators of the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va., that had erupted two days before, he was essentially doing what he’s said to do often on the golf course – taking a mulligan. This time, … [Read more...] about Post-Charlottesville: What Trump Said, and When
Marching Orders for New Maps
The three federal judges could have just come right out and said it: The Republicans who rule the N.C. General Assembly have elevated foot-dragging to a fine art. Their stall tactics take the cake. Instead, the trio overseeing the legislature’s efforts to draw new voting … [Read more...] about Marching Orders for New Maps
Rights Advocacy At Risk
The optics, as they say, are terrible. But in a state whose motto is “To Be Rather Than to Seem,” it’s even more important to look at the substance. And the substance is worse. Think about it: In a Southern state where the legacy of race discrimination and its attendant … [Read more...] about Rights Advocacy At Risk
Uh-Oh – It’s the Legislature, Again
Better get used to it. The N.C. General Assembly, after an all-too-brief adjournment during July, is about to reopen for business in its marble and masonry maze on Raleigh’s Jones Street. Given this legislature’s track record so far, the big question would seem to be: How much … [Read more...] about Uh-Oh – It’s the Legislature, Again
Doomed Veto Spotlights Budget Flaws
Presented with a new state budget that, whatever its occasional virtues, is mainly about easing tax burdens on the well-off while grinding opponents of legislative Republicans into the dirt, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper had little choice but to wield his veto stamp. Those … [Read more...] about Doomed Veto Spotlights Budget Flaws
New Budget with Old Agenda Falls Short
By now the strategy is familiar – the strategy used by the N.C. General Assembly’s Republican chiefs to try to make a fundamentally flawed state budget appear, well, not that bad. Or at least tolerable. Or better than it could have been and perhaps even worth … [Read more...] about New Budget with Old Agenda Falls Short
Gerrymander Remedy: Redraw, Now
The Republicans who took control of North Carolina’s General Assembly with the elections of 2010 were, it could be said, licking their chops. They knew that when they came to Raleigh in 2011, a big prize awaited. All they had to do was seize it. And seize it they … [Read more...] about Gerrymander Remedy: Redraw, Now
UPDATE — High Court to NC: Draw Those Districts Fairly
UPDATE In separate, party-line votes on June 8, the state House and Senate rejected Gov. Cooper's attempt to convene a special session for the purpose of redrawing legislative voting districts. Leaders of the Republican majority argued that Cooper's proclamation failed to meet … [Read more...] about UPDATE — High Court to NC: Draw Those Districts Fairly
Lines of Influence: Justices Zap Voting Map
Following the elections of 2010 – tilted as they were by an intense right-wing pushback against President Barack Obama midway through his first term – Republicans in the N.C. General Assembly saw themselves as large and in charge. For the first time in the state’s modern … [Read more...] about Lines of Influence: Justices Zap Voting Map
Budget’s Big Picture: A Crumbling Core
So, the question as always comes down to one of vision. The elected chieftains who decide how much money North Carolina’s state government will spend, what it will be spent on and how it will be raised must decide not only which programs and services will thrive and which will … [Read more...] about Budget’s Big Picture: A Crumbling Core
Retiring Judge Stands Tall
As Shakespeare’s King Lear famously put it, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.” Top Republicans in the N.C. General Assembly now might well be muttering, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a Republican judge who stands on … [Read more...] about Retiring Judge Stands Tall
Tax-Cut Fever Threatens Services
How many times do we have to say it? Well, it’s worth repeating – especially in the aftermath of recent income tax filing deadlines, when the subject becomes a sore point for many: None of us should have to pay more in taxes than our fair share in financing the necessary and … [Read more...] about Tax-Cut Fever Threatens Services
New Push for Broader Medicaid, Better Health
North Carolina’s failure under Republican leadership to improve low-income residents’ access to health care via the Medicaid program has been like a persistent, throbbing pain in the state’s civic and economic life. The pain can be literal, when people must do without the … [Read more...] about New Push for Broader Medicaid, Better Health
Shock Waves from High Court ‘Nuke’
Our national politics are in an ugly place, driven by an accelerating cycle of suspicion, accusation, blame, recrimination and retaliation. The circumstances by which Neil Gorsuch takes office as a justice of the Supreme Court sadly fit the mold – to the U.S. Senate’s discredit … [Read more...] about Shock Waves from High Court ‘Nuke’
Swallow Hard: H.B. 2’s Less-than-Ideal ‘Repeal’
Call it a head-on collision between politics and principle. Is anyone surprised that politics prevailed? Yet here’s the twist that perhaps makes the outcome somewhat understandable, if no less regrettable. Those of us committed to stamping out discrimination on the basis of … [Read more...] about Swallow Hard: H.B. 2’s Less-than-Ideal ‘Repeal’
GOP Mantra: Party Hearty!
They might not care for the image, but Republican members of the N.C. General Assembly act as though they were drunk with power. They have the votes not merely to set conservative policies on spending, taxes, education, health care, protection or misprotection of the … [Read more...] about GOP Mantra: Party Hearty!
H.B. 2 ‘Compromise’ Must Protect Rights
The fight over North Carolina’s House Bill 2 – the law that notoriously stamps the state’s seal of approval on discrimination against lesbian, gay and transgender folks – has devolved into a form of trench warfare. Republican legislators and social conservatives who support … [Read more...] about H.B. 2 ‘Compromise’ Must Protect Rights
N.C.’s Reckless ‘Party Time’
Politics, at least in a democracy, is competitive. The analogy to sports may be simplistic but it’s not too far off the mark. Participants seek to win, and to do so in accordance with rules constraining behavior that’s plainly unfair or dangerous. The rewards for winning … [Read more...] about N.C.’s Reckless ‘Party Time’
Governor Fights Power Shortage
North Carolina’s governor gets to live in a mansion whose handsome property occupies a full city block in downtown Raleigh. He or she gets to meet with assorted dignitaries, here and elsewhere, to talk up the Old North State’s virtues. He or she gets to make congratulatory … [Read more...] about Governor Fights Power Shortage
Big Stakes in High Court Pick
Compared with some of the provocatively, even outrageously unsuited people whom President Trump has chosen for high office, Neil Gorsuch barely moves the needle. But that’s not to say Americans concerned about safeguarding the institutions of democracy should be heartened to see … [Read more...] about Big Stakes in High Court Pick
Medicaid Push: Cooper’s Strong Start
For many of us, these are troubling times as Donald Trump ascends to the nation’s highest office. We can hope for the best but it’s hard not to anticipate the worst: valuable alliances trashed, environmental protections ravaged, civil rights eroded, neighbors pitted against … [Read more...] about Medicaid Push: Cooper’s Strong Start
Seeds of Change in a Momentous Year
As we watched the egregiously unqualified Donald Trump campaign for and win election to the White House, any good news on the government and politics front was likely to be obscured amid concerns about what Trump’s ascent could bode for the nation’s well-being. Concerns? … [Read more...] about Seeds of Change in a Momentous Year
Post-Election Travesty Targets the Governor
The ugly truth can’t be evaded or denied: North Carolina’s General Assembly, in the grip of an arrogant Republican majority, has plunged ahead with a shocking, shameful abuse of power and of the principles of open, accountable government. Yes, this is a matter of vital concern … [Read more...] about Post-Election Travesty Targets the Governor
The Path to McCrory’s Last Stand
He and his supporters twisted and turned, wriggled and squirmed. But 27 days after the Nov. 8 election, Gov. Pat McCrory finally bowed to the inevitable and conceded that his bid for a second term had come up short. Yes, his contest with Roy Cooper, for 16 years North … [Read more...] about The Path to McCrory’s Last Stand
Maps Again Key to Power, Rights
No one reading this post is likely to pull a brain muscle describing ways in which the recent elections could have consequences ranging from the unfortunate to the dire. Our incoming president sends signals that he may be willing to walk back a few of his more extreme campaign … [Read more...] about Maps Again Key to Power, Rights
Plots Thicken in Election’s Aftermath — UPDATED
Donald Trump’s campaign for the presidency was a waste-pit wallow through a sludge of fear and hate. That millions of Americans voted for him presumably without hating anyone says a great deal about the extent of the economic desperation he vows to address. As to how he’ll … [Read more...] about Plots Thicken in Election’s Aftermath — UPDATED
A Troubling Choice, Yet Glimmers of Hope
Those of us aligned with the Council of Churches share a political outlook whose priorities include equal rights, equal opportunity, environmental stewardship, ample investment in public services and fair allocation of that investment’s costs. We believe that the United States … [Read more...] about A Troubling Choice, Yet Glimmers of Hope
At Campaign Trail’s End, Voters Rule
As the 2016 campaign season grinds along the final stretch toward Election Day on Nov. 8 – and with thousands of North Carolinians already having cast their ballots – we may see a familiar paradox of politics once again displayed: Things had to get worse before they could get … [Read more...] about At Campaign Trail’s End, Voters Rule
Trump, Business Values and H.B. 2
Donald Trump may strike a populist, anti-big business note a la Bernie Sanders from time to time. But he also has a tendency to gloat over his own cutthroat business practices which, he claims, have made him rich. (How rich? Perhaps if he weren’t so secretive about his tax … [Read more...] about Trump, Business Values and H.B. 2
Proposed H.B. 2 Deal Falls Short
Who can blame North Carolina’s restaurant and hotel operators for wishing the whole House Bill 2 controversy would just vanish into thin air, as if it had never existed? They’d love to see the clock rolled back to that glorious time before Charlotte strengthened the city’s … [Read more...] about Proposed H.B. 2 Deal Falls Short
Bad Law vs. Big Games
When ultra-visible organizations with major economic leverage press for political change, sometimes the right thing to do is to tell them to take the proverbial long walk off a short pier. Or something more colorful. But what if the change being sought is one that advances … [Read more...] about Bad Law vs. Big Games
Early Voting Draws Support
The folks in North Carolina who want to make it harder rather than easier for people to vote – a category that features top officials of the state Republican Party – lost a big battle in the federal courts. So they’ve tried to win the war by narrowing opportunities to cast … [Read more...] about Early Voting Draws Support
Election Maps Under Scrutiny
The Republican Party developed a national strategy to seize and hold legislative power, and in North Carolina executed it with relentless precision. Six years into that process, however, the adverse legal judgments are beginning to accumulate. Rights were violated and votes … [Read more...] about Election Maps Under Scrutiny
Voting Rights, Redeemed
Even for ardent voting rights advocates, there’s little comfort to be gained from a federal appeals court’s finding that the N.C. General Assembly engaged in a multifaceted scheme to discriminate against African-American voters. Think about it: A half-century after the federal … [Read more...] about Voting Rights, Redeemed
Governor in the Glare
There was a time, back in the range of 2008, when Pat McCrory looked as though he probably would do a pretty good job if elected as North Carolina’s governor. At least, there weren’t any solid reasons to think that this moderate, business-oriented Republican who was the … [Read more...] about Governor in the Glare
Scrambled Session’s Lows and Highs
The N.C. General Assembly’s 2016 regular session, which drew to a sudden close on July 1, will be remembered as much for what didn’t happen as for what did – sometimes for the worse and occasionally for the better. Even with Republicans firmly in charge of both the House and … [Read more...] about Scrambled Session’s Lows and Highs
Tax Cap’s Enduring Mischief
Sorry for the sugar-coating, but the state Senate’s attempt to enshrine its preferred tax policies in North Carolina’s constitution is arrogant, presumptuous, wrongheaded and profoundly undemocratic. Who will be penalized if the attempt succeeds? Not the high-end earners … [Read more...] about Tax Cap’s Enduring Mischief
Immigrants as Scapegoats — Again
There wasn’t a lot to like about what occurred the other day in a state Senate committee. First, legislative rules – notoriously rubberized – were stretched to the point where principles of orderly law-making were nailed up for mockery. Second, the travesty took place in service … [Read more...] about Immigrants as Scapegoats — Again
Beyond Pulse: Vigilance, Tolerance
Let’s face it. We, that would be all of us who proudly claim the title of American, must do more to forestall the situations and grievances and opportunities that can lead to any kind of slaughter remotely resembling the Orlando tragedy of June 12, 2016. 6/12, a new code for 21st … [Read more...] about Beyond Pulse: Vigilance, Tolerance
Budgeting that Tests our Values
Let’s assume the worst, which for the moment would mean that the N.C. Senate’s version of a new state budget sails through to enactment without change or compromise. The sun, as they say, will still come up in the morning. Public school teachers will continue to report for … [Read more...] about Budgeting that Tests our Values
Sour Notes, Again, in Budget Song
Well, did anyone really expect North Carolina’s General Assembly, in finalizing a new state budget, suddenly to see the light and swerve toward more effective, fairer government? The same General Assembly that for the past five years has embraced a shrunken, warped vision of its … [Read more...] about Sour Notes, Again, in Budget Song
Tar Heel Beacon of Tolerance
Take heart, fair-minded North Carolinians. The state’s not-always-pristine but still vaguely operative image as a place where “the weak grow strong and the strong grow great” is in the process of being dragged through the mud by cynics who prefer to kick people while they’re … [Read more...] about Tar Heel Beacon of Tolerance
Voter Suppression Gets a Pass
A federal judge’s ruling that upholds changes in North Carolina election laws, despite their effect of making it harder for some citizens to vote, seems to rest on his conclusion that, well, there’s no reason to get all upset about a little inconvenience. Civil rights and … [Read more...] about Voter Suppression Gets a Pass
Bathroom Drama’s Many Plots
Here’s a funny thing about House Bill 2, the “bathroom bill” (now law) that’s causing North Carolina so much grief: The Charlotte ordinance that the General Assembly was in such a rush to block -- the one that supposedly threw the usual custom of sex-separated public bathrooms to … [Read more...] about Bathroom Drama’s Many Plots
Beyond Bathrooms: Jobs, Fairness
North Carolina’s House Bill 2 – rammed through the General Assembly and signed into law in less than half a day – manages to rope together a herd of provisions so misguided, harmful and unfair as to boggle the mind. Bathroom protocols for transgender people, as ridiculously … [Read more...] about Beyond Bathrooms: Jobs, Fairness
Hurtful Law Sends Signals
Yes, it was a pretty neat trick -- one bill that manages to expose many vulnerable North Carolinians to unfair, hurtful treatment, that threatens to put a dent in the state’s economy, and that subjects this state to national ridicule as a redoubt of unhinged intolerance. All … [Read more...] about Hurtful Law Sends Signals
Trump’s Campaign of Us versus Them
If Donald J. Trump successfully concludes his so-far-dominant push to become this year’s Republican presidential nominee, North Carolinians will have played a role. Some will view that role as a source of pride – others as an embarrassment. The chasm between those perspectives … [Read more...] about Trump’s Campaign of Us versus Them
District Challengers: ‘Oh, No, You Don’t!’ (Updated)
After a panel of federal judges threw out North Carolina’s congressional district map because it trampled the rights of African-American voters, the General Assembly followed orders and redrew the map. The 13 districts were dramatically realigned, with major consequences both for … [Read more...] about District Challengers: ‘Oh, No, You Don’t!’ (Updated)
Legislators’ High-Court Switcheroo
After a five-year exercise in seeking to put a lasting stamp on North Carolina government and policy, the General Assembly’s majority Republicans have provoked a parade of lawsuits challenging a number of their moves. It may be that most of those lawsuits will play out in the … [Read more...] about Legislators’ High-Court Switcheroo
District Drama Spotlights Power, Fairness
The Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly are determined to draw election-district boundaries favoring their party’s candidates and promoting their conservative agenda. But when Republican voters are outnumbered by Democrats, crafting favorable districts while … [Read more...] about District Drama Spotlights Power, Fairness
Thumbs Down on Racial Gerrymanders
With an eye toward the battles over redistricting that have roiled North Carolina politics for the last quarter-century, once again push is coming to shove. This time, the advantage lies with voting rights and social justice advocates who have sought to keep the state’s … [Read more...] about Thumbs Down on Racial Gerrymanders
Election Changes’ Telltale Timing
It was just one little comment, perhaps ventured with the flicker of a wry smile. But we can doubt that Tom Farr saw the humor in being ribbed by a federal judge. Farr, attorney for the defendants in a challenge to North Carolina’s voter ID law, was wrapping up his case on … [Read more...] about Election Changes’ Telltale Timing
Voter ID on Trial
The ongoing legal challenge to North Carolina’s voter ID rule, now playing out before a federal judge in Winston-Salem, could end up reminding us that it’s not the job of the courts to decide whether a law is needed or wise. It’s their job to decide whether a law violates … [Read more...] about Voter ID on Trial
Race, Courts and Twisted Districts
Few of the decisions made by the men and women of our General Assembly are so prone to self-serving, partisan abuse as the setting of boundaries for voting districts. When legislators yield to that temptation, it’s inescapable that the rights of some voters to have a fair, equal … [Read more...] about Race, Courts and Twisted Districts
2015: Our Conservatives Weren’t Kidding
For those of us who want to see North Carolina governed with the interests of all its residents in mind – not mainly the interests of the well-off and privileged -- 2015 amounted to yet another slog down a disappointing path. It was the third full year since conservative … [Read more...] about 2015: Our Conservatives Weren’t Kidding
Trump’s Anti-Muslim Bluster
In the game of bridge, when a trump card is played to win a trick, that’s known as a ruff. In the game of politics, when Donald Trump uses tricks to try to win votes, he plays rough. Pursuing the Republican nomination for president, the bumptious Trump has been on a roll. … [Read more...] about Trump’s Anti-Muslim Bluster
Doing Right by Syria’s Refugees
Photo by I. Prickett, UNHCR Against the toxic brew of fear and political opportunism that has enveloped America’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis stand principles of compassion and common sense. The N.C. Council of Churches is proud to embrace those principles and to … [Read more...] about Doing Right by Syria’s Refugees
UNC System’s New Sheriff
The notably dapper Thom Goolsby, member of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, made a mark of sorts with his put-down of the NAACP-led Moral Monday protest movement – the movement that called the conservative-controlled General Assembly to account for a range of … [Read more...] about UNC System’s New Sheriff
‘We stand adjourned’ – finally!
The senators and representatives who make up North Carolina’s General Assembly let their 2015 session run on far longer than it should have. Let’s be glad that the curtain has come down. There’s been enough damage. But as if our illustrious lawmakers wanted to give us the … [Read more...] about ‘We stand adjourned’ – finally!
Power Plays, Surprises at Session’s End
These closing weeks, or days, of the General Assembly’s session are sometimes known as the silly season, when weirdness is the watchword at the maze-like Legislative Building on Raleigh’s Jones Street. But all too often, the results are more scary than funny. OK, scary is a … [Read more...] about Power Plays, Surprises at Session’s End
Budget Struggle’s Bitter End
The proverbial elephant labored and, against all hopeful expectations, brought forth a mouse. The “elephants” who run the Republican-controlled General Assembly labored and now have brought forth, if not a mouse, then a state budget that is completely underwhelming as a vehicle … [Read more...] about Budget Struggle’s Bitter End
The Odor Around the Lottery
When North Carolina legislators by the narrowest of margins 10 years ago approved a state lottery, capping a long debate over the wisdom of state-sponsored gaming, they set aside warnings of a slippery slope. Supporters maintained that our lottery would be, in effect, a … [Read more...] about The Odor Around the Lottery
Rule to Harass, or Punish, the Jobless
Even while North Carolina was still in the grips of the Great Recession, with thousands of residents suffering the slings and arrows of joblessness because they were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, Republican legislators moved to make it harder to receive … [Read more...] about Rule to Harass, or Punish, the Jobless
Tale of Two Chambers Amid Budget Conflict
North Carolina has two legislative bodies, the 120-member House of Representatives and the 50-member Senate. They’re set up to be equal in power, although it could be said that the larger House is designed to be more reflective of the public will. Senators typically have more … [Read more...] about Tale of Two Chambers Amid Budget Conflict
Protect Us from the ‘Protection Act’
With its misguided “Taxpayer Protection Act” scheme, the state Senate looks to put a crowning touch on its efforts to turn North Carolina into a veritable Promised Land for conservatives, where taxes are always low, the government is always small, and public services are always … [Read more...] about Protect Us from the ‘Protection Act’
Private School Vouchers, Lax Standards
The principle of judicial restraint is a wonderful thing. It helps keep judges – as they go about their business of determining whether laws are constitutional – from horning in on the role of legislators, whose task is to make policy choices and then to enact laws reflecting … [Read more...] about Private School Vouchers, Lax Standards
Tax Cuts, Tax Shifts, Budget Battles
Don’t be surprised if, during the General Assembly’s closed-door negotiations to craft a new state budget, enterprising reporters manage to pry loose some of the juicy (or gory) details. Keeping tight security on a process that involves 114 legislators – fully two-thirds of … [Read more...] about Tax Cuts, Tax Shifts, Budget Battles
Courtroom March for Voting Rights
Republican legislators can hardly get around the fact that their 2013 overhaul of North Carolina election laws is likely to inconvenience some groups of voters more than others. For example: People working two jobs to make ends meet will tend to feel the impact of a shorter … [Read more...] about Courtroom March for Voting Rights
Conflicts over Policies, Power, Pride
Regarding the state of affairs within the N.C. General Assembly these days, one little set of numbers tells a big story: 112-0. That was the margin by which the House on June 23 rejected the Senate’s version of the annual budget bill. No, not exactly a cliff-hanger. House … [Read more...] about Conflicts over Policies, Power, Pride
Voting Rights Sense, in a New Light
Over and over, we heard North Carolina’s stringent voter identification law, enacted by the Republican-controlled legislature in 2013 over the protests of voting rights advocates, described as simply a “commonsense” measure to deter ballot fraud. We were supposed to ignore the … [Read more...] about Voting Rights Sense, in a New Light
Scrutiny for Gun Laws, Post-Charleston
Their timing, as it turned out, was less than impeccable. The gun-rights boosters who are pushing N.C. House Bill 562 ran up against some common-sense objections that resulted in two main elements being stripped from the bill. But more than that, later on the very evening … [Read more...] about Scrutiny for Gun Laws, Post-Charleston
Sad Signals on Tolerance, Rule of Law
Gov. Pat McCrory tried to warn his fellow Republicans who call the tunes in the General Assembly. The rule of law was at stake, McCrory said, and the state would be asking for trouble if it let public officials pick and choose which of their duties they will carry out. His veto … [Read more...] about Sad Signals on Tolerance, Rule of Law
Veto Overriders Flex Their Muscles
North Carolina’s General Assembly has muddled through many undistinguished moments since conservative Republicans took charge four years ago. Now, with an ongoing cascade of wrongheaded decisions, it’s adding to that disappointing and even destructive list. Gov. Pat McCrory, … [Read more...] about Veto Overriders Flex Their Muscles
Via Vetoes, McCrory Declares Independence
Anticipation of an unpleasant event – gallows humorists usually cite the prospect of being hanged – is said to concentrate the mind. Although 17 months will pass before North Carolina voters decide whether Gov. Pat McCrory has earned a second term, the possibility that he might … [Read more...] about Via Vetoes, McCrory Declares Independence
Bills Wink at Polluters, Abusers
For a boatload of lofty, noble and wise sentiments, look no farther than the opening fanfares of Chapter 113A, Article 1, N.C. General Statutes. The reference is to a law commonly known as SEPA, or the State Environmental Policy Act. It was enacted in 1971, during the great … [Read more...] about Bills Wink at Polluters, Abusers
Republican Budget makes Republicans Fume — Updated
Let’s admit it – we were fooled. We never realized that the N.C. House of Representatives, with Republicans firmly in charge, was a nest of liberals. At least that must be how Bob Luddy sees it. Luddy, a highly successful Wake County businessman (his company makes … [Read more...] about Republican Budget makes Republicans Fume — Updated
Revenue Boosts and Tax-cut Boasts
The rooster crowed. The sun came up. The rooster puffed his feathered chest as he beheld his magnificent handiwork. Phil Berger led the state Senate in cutting taxes. Revenues nudged up, putting the state on course to finish its budget year in the black. Berger proclaimed that … [Read more...] about Revenue Boosts and Tax-cut Boasts
When Lawmakers Itch to Execute
The last person to be put to death by the State of North Carolina – in other words, put to death on behalf of all of us who live here and choose the leaders who write our laws – was Samuel Flippen, 36, who was given a lethal injection at Central Prison in Raleigh at 2 a.m. on … [Read more...] about When Lawmakers Itch to Execute
At the Legislature, a Fateful Crossing
With its self-imposed April 30 “crossover” deadline, the General Assembly can sidetrack bills that haven’t gained enough support to make them worth fussing with during the remainder of the legislative session. A bill that makes the deadline by gaining approval in either the … [Read more...] about At the Legislature, a Fateful Crossing
High Court’s Double-Take on Districts
There’s certainly no guarantee that the U.S. Supreme Court, in sending North Carolina’s election district scheme back to the state Supreme Court for review, eventually will find that the General Assembly has engaged in unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. However, the high … [Read more...] about High Court’s Double-Take on Districts
Justice Advocates Convene for the Cause
The Council of Churches’ Legislative Seminar – its top-profile public event of the year – is meant to inform, and it’s meant to inspire. We’re not too bashful to say that this year’s version, held on April 14 at Greenwood Forest Baptist Church in Cary, succeeded on both … [Read more...] about Justice Advocates Convene for the Cause
Tax Cuts’ Costs Becoming Clear
Since taking veto-proof control of the NC General Assembly in the elections of 2012, members of the Republican majority have labored diligently to fix what they’ve regarded as a broken tax system. Of course, whether it really was broken is a point many North Carolinians have … [Read more...] about Tax Cuts’ Costs Becoming Clear
