House continues pattern of putting special interests in charge

As Rob noted below, House Speaker Thom Tillis has appointed a licensed real estate broker to the “public member” seat on the North Carolina Home Inspector Licensure Board. This move is against the statutory directives governing the board, according to the News & Observer, so House leaders just changed the rules.

This brings to mind the health insurance exchange established by the North Carolina House. The state is mandated to have an exchange by the Affordable Care Act. The purpose of the exchange is to make insurance shopping more affordable and transparent for consumers. Instead of fulfilling that goal by establishing a governing board of people interested in assisting consumers, Tillis stacked the exchange board with special interests.

Tillis allows appointments to the exchange board from the N.C. Medical Society, the N.C. Hospital Association, the N.C. Chamber, the NFIB, insurance companies, and associations of insurance agents. Against all of these monied interests stand two tiny seats for public members.

And we see how public seats are filled on other boards.