Tag: Legislature

The aftermath

July 3, 2012 at 10:37 amCategory:Uncategorized

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Here are some preliminary thoughts about last night’s circus at the State Legislative Building and the online post mortem that’s been continuing right along in the hours since:

#1 – There’s compromise and then there’s plain old selling out. I’m currently plowing my way through Robert Caro’s latest tome on the life and times of Lyndon Johnson and I’ve spent many, many years lobbying the General Assemblies of two different states so I know all about political realities and the frequent necessity of compromise to get things done. That is not what happened last night at the General Assembly with the supposedly progressive lawmakers who voted with the conservatives in power. Compromise happens when smart people make strategic decisions in an effort to advance (or at least preserve) a coherent  agenda. Selling out is when ambitious, unprincipled and/or delusional individuals make deals that benefit themselves personally at the expense of the greater good. 

#2 – Most biting (and accurate) online commentary - Multiple online commenters have referred to Rep. Susi Hamilton’s late night skedaddle from the House floor on the budget vote and her vote for the fracking override in exchange for the extension of a tax giveaway to the movie industry (Rep. Hamilton is from the Wilmington area and has reportedly rented her home to movie industry employees) as the equivalent of selling out her party and principles for “30 pieces of silver.” The critique is not quite accurate; actually it was 60 million pieces.

#3- Wake up!! Rep. Becky Carney is a nice person who’s done some good things during her many years in Raleigh Read More…

Eugenics “no” votes say a lot about the General Assembly

June 6, 2012 at 11:21 amCategory:Uncategorized

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Just how unapologetically extreme are the people running the current North Carolina General Assembly?

This extreme: Yesterday, when the House of Representatives finally voted to toss a rather paltry and too-little, too-late bit of compensation for the victims of the state’s infamous, mid-20th Century “eugenics” program, the majority Republican caucus was almost equally divided.

Thirty-five GOP’ers voted for it and 31 (47% of those voting) voted against. Click here to see the vote.    

For a more thorough examination of the General Assembly’s current rightward tilt. check out this morning’s edition of the Weekly Briefing.

Senate advances fracking bill as opponents are shut out of hearing

June 5, 2012 at 2:05 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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While it’s true that the North Carolina General Assembly is not really designed to accommodate large public audiences — at least in most committee rooms — there was something troubling and all-too-familiar about the way this morning’s Senate Commerce Committee meeting on a bill to legalize fracking went down.

Last week, when the bill came up, the committee room was so crowded that dozens of people — some with other business before the committee — were kept out. Yesterday, in an apparent bow to the crowds of fracking opponents expected today, the committee announced that it would move to Room 643 in the Legislative Office Building – the legislature’s largest committee room and a place from which an interent audio feed is available.

Unfortunately,  the switch didn’t last. Read More…

The never-ending veto session

May 29, 2012 at 7:43 amCategory:Uncategorized

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Craig Jarvis of Raleigh’s News & Observer has an interesting (and infuriating) story this morning about the ongoing and downright ridiculous approach pursued by legislative leaders with respect to veto override votes.

It’s been so long since the 2011 session and even the January midnight madness session, that it’s easy to forget that these people are still claiming the authority to override vetoes issued by the Governor last summer — if and when they ever muster the votes.

This is, of course, outrageous. It’s Tom Delay/Scott Walker politics at its worst. Read More…

Cap on gas tax would further strain NC transportation budget

May 23, 2012 at 4:30 pmCategory:NC Budget and Tax Center | Uncategorized

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An efficient, safe, and convenient transportation system is integral to the health of North Carolina’s economy and North Carolinians’ quality of life. The state’s vast transportation system is struggling to serve this need because it faces serious challenges. The system is under considerable pressure due to aging infrastructure, increasing congestion, and strained revenue sources that are failing to keep pace with rising construction and maintenance costs.

Despite these problems, Governor Perdue’s FY2012-13 budget proposal places a cap on North Carolina’s gas tax, which is currently 38.9 cents per gallon and accounts for more than half of state revenues dedicated for transportation projects. The legislature is poised to follow suit. The Budget and Tax Center released a report earlier today on the pitfalls of capping the gas tax. Read More…