North Carolina – Democrats
Cooper’s fight echoes Terry Sanford’s
Governor Roy Cooper has picked the same fight over North Carolina’s future that Terry Sanford picked more than 60 years ago. The issue is the same. Then, powerful people in Raleigh wanted the legislature to pass corporate tax cuts. Sanford said that was wrong. He said North Carolina needed to invest in education. This year,…
Read MoreThe Disloyal Democrat
Democrats broke the supermajority. But they can’t keep it broke if their own members break ranks. Last week, Senator Don Davis of Pitt County was the only Democrat who voted with Republicans to override Governor Cooper’s veto of a controversial abortion bill. The override passed, thanks to Davis. Democrats are livid. They say the bill,…
Read MoreThe War on Public Schools
Teachers came to Raleigh Wednesday to teach politicians about the public schools. But what did the teachers learn about the politicians? They need to learn this: A lot of the politicians hate public schools. They won’t admit it, especially around Election Day. But look at what they do. And who they listen to. They don’t…
Read MoreVictories for the Swamp
State Treasurer Dale Folwell got whacked by the Swamp. It turns out the State Employees Health Insurance Fund has been spending $3 billion a year, costs have been going up 7-9% a year, and the fund is billions of dollars in debt – so Folwell decided to cut spending by the state paying hospitals the…
Read MoreThe Earth Shifted
When Mark Harris bowed out of the Republican Primary for Congress in the 9th District Dan Bishop had to make a decision quickly – a State Senator, Bishop had a little name identification in Charlotte but he wasn’t well known in the rest of the District. He decided he’d run but with the election only…
Read MoreHigh Court, Low Politics
It’s one of the great all-time political ironies. Years of Republican legislators’ efforts to pick and pack North Carolina’s judiciary have led to a (wait for it) 6-1 Democratic majority and one of the most progressive Supreme Courts in our history. No wonder Senate Boss Phil Berger was in such a lather about the courts…
Read MoreAnd the Oscar goes to…
If the State of the State was the Oscars, Governor Cooper won Best Performance, Democratic women legislators won Best Costume and Phil Berger was hands-down Best Villain. Once derided as dry and wooden, Cooper has transformed himself into an animated, engaging speaker. He’s got a bit of Andy Griffith in him. Berger was more like…
Read MoreCourt Politics
Since 2010 Republicans have worked mightily to engineer a Republican Supreme Court in North Carolina. Now they’re shocked, shocked, that a Democratic governor appointed a Democratic Chief Justice. Elections have consequences, as they say. A longtime court-watcher (a Democrat) told me that while Paul Newby has been on the Supreme Court longer than Cheri Beasley,…
Read MoreThe New Democratic Faces
The contrast was stark when the new Congress convened this month. The Republican side was monochromatic: white men in dark suits. The Democratic side was diverse, varied and colorful – in clothing and complexion, age and gender, background and life experience. You’ll see the same contrast in the North Carolina General Assembly. You’ll see it…
Read MoreA Disguise
Governor Cooper explained in the newspaper he vetoed a bill because “Municipal charter schools set a dangerous precedent that could lead to taxpayer funded re-segregation.” The way the bill’s opponents see it the suburbs where the schools would be built are white (or ‘whiter’) than the rest of the schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District,…
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