archived: 27 Mar - 2 Apr, 2005 Back Next
UPDATED:
March 29, 2005
LOTTERY
Speaker Jim Black appointed a fourteen member committee last night to formulate a lottery bill to be presented to the State House no later than April 11. These are the committee members:
Rep. Bill Culpepper, D-Chowan, Chairman
Bernard Allen, D-Wake; Co-Chair
Hugh Holliman, D-Mecklenburg; Co-Chair
Stephen LaRoque, R-Lenoir; Co-Chair
Bill Owens, D-Pasquotank, Co-Chair
Becky Carney, D-Mecklenburg
Margaret Dickson, D-Cumberland
Pryor Gibson, D-Anson
Robert Grady, R-Onslow
Wilma Sherrill, R-Buncombe
Russell Tucker, D-Duplin
Roger West, R-Cherokee
Arthur Williams, D-Beaufort
Douglas Yongue, D-Scotland
The inclusion of four Republicans would appear to signal that Speaker Black could afford to lose six Democratic Representatives and still pass the legislation. TPJ’s sources continue to believe that Speaker Black has the votes necessary to pass a lottery bill in the House. However, both sides are gearing for a major lobbying effort and the vote will be extremely close.
An excellent discussion of the current status of the lottery issue can be found here: -- News & Observer
A MATTER OF DEATH
Junkie: The NC Coalition for a Moratorium has issued the following statement. It is going to take a lot of lobbying at the grass roots level to get this bill through the State House. If you can’t come to Raleigh on Wednesday, please write your legislators as indicated in the material below. All items in blue are active hyperlinks.
_____
House Bill 529, calling for a two-year suspension of executions while the General Assembly studies the death penalty system in North Carolina, has been introduced in the state House of Representatives and is being sponsored by 39 legislators. To view a copy of the bill, click on the link below:
Thank you to everyone who took part in the grassroots effort leading up to the introduction of this bill. Because of you we are one step closer to achieving the goal of a fair and just death penalty system in our state.
Now that we have a bill introduced we need to reach out to our representatives and urge them to support HB 529. Only by expressing our support for a two-year suspension of executions and a study of the system will our representatives take action.
Here’s what you can do: Join the North Carolina Coalition for a Moratorium, Alan Gell, Darryl Hunt and many others in Raleigh for Lobby Day on Wednesday, March 30th. At 9 a.m. and again at 11 a.m., the Coalition will lead short briefings on the legislation and provide tips about talking with legislators. Those will be held at the Museum of History, directly across from the Legislative Building on Jones Street. After attending one of those sessions, you can just walk across the street to meet your legislator. It is important that you call ahead and make an appointment to see your legislator.
You can reach your representative by calling the North Carolina General Assembly Switchboard at 919-733-4111. To find out who your representative is and where their office is, click on the link below:
At 2 p.m., Alan Gell, Darryl Hunt, our legislative champions and others will speak at the Museum of History. If you’re not able to attend Lobby Day, please write your representative now and let them know you support HB 529. You can write your representative by clicking on the link below:
Two of the most important actions you can take in the effort to see this bill passed are to attend Lobby Day and tell your friends and family about the moratorium. Get out your address books and send an e-mail to at least 10 people encouraging them to attend Lobby Day and to get involved by signing up for the NC Moratorium Action List. Tell your friends and family now by clicking on the link below:
TELL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY NOW
They can also sign-up by visiting NORTH CAROLINA COALITION FOR A MORATORIUM and clicking on “Get Involved”. Educational materials and issue-related developments are posted on the website frequently, making it a great way to stay up to date with current events and progress made on the issue.
[Y]our emails and outreach will be critical to the effectiveness of the campaign. With every new voice, we increase the chances of this historic legislation passing this session.
Look for continued e-mail alerts and calls to action in the coming weeks, and keep up the good work.
_____________________________________________
LOTTERY
State House Speaker Jim Black has announced that the House will vote on the lottery next week. – Charlotte Observer TPJ’s sources indicate that Speaker Black has the votes to pass the lottery in the House.
Motivation for passing the lottery is coming from the scope of budget cuts that the General Assembly must find in order to balance the budget. Here are some of the budget concerns:
State [university] officials are already wringing their hands over potential spending reductions that would go beyond Gov. Mike Easley's budget proposal. . . . University of North Carolina system leaders say the latest round of spending reductions could be worse compared to previous years, leading to faculty layoffs and larger class sizes. – WXII 12
_____
"I think some folks are having sleepless nights over it," said Sen. Doug Berger, D-Franklin, concerned about talk of reducing Medicaid spending beyond Easley's request. "There are going to be elderly people, children, mentally retarded people who are going to suffer if we don't raise revenue."
The leaders of the six budget subcommittees have been told to plan for spending that totals $15.48 billion, compared to the $15.96 billion in similar spending Easley proposed in those categories. Some items in Easley's $16.9 billion plan aren't being discussed by the subcommittees.
More than half the additional reductions are being sought in education and health and human services. – Lexington Dispatch (emphasis added)
_____
"We already have a lottery. It's just in South Carolina and Virginia. We're funding South Carolina and Virginia and Tennessee and Georgia schools," Black said. "Some people think a lottery's a sin. I think it's a sin to not educate your children."
A lottery is projected to raise at least $400 million a year for the state, and Black listed a variety of education programs that he said could benefit:
• School construction - "This would help keep down property taxes," he said.
• Gov. Mike Easley's More at Four pre-kindergarten program.
• Alternative schools
• College scholarships
• Poor school systems for which a judge has ordered the state to provide better support in the long-running Leandro lawsuit
"We cannot back up on education, and we are going to have to deal with Leandro," Black said. "The court said we'll do it, and we shall do it. We do everything else the court says around here."
Black estimates that North Carolinians spend as much as $300 million a year on other states' lotteries. –
Winston-Salem Journal (emphasis added)With no political will to raise taxes generally, either the lottery passes or education and social services will take deep cuts. This choice is a terrible one for many progressives; but a choice that must be made soon.
NC DEMOCRATIC PARTY
The North Carolina Democratic Party has completed a much needed makeover of its website. Check out the website by following this hyperlink: --
NCDP Job well done!While at the site, make a donation to the Party. Any amount will do.
REP. PATRICK MCHENRY
The Terri Schavio case exposes the Republicans on so many levels – including North Carolina Republicans. Rep. Patrick McHenry, Republican 10th Congressional District, offered perhaps the most profound example of the exercise of Republican power:
Shortly after Florida Circuit judge George W. Greer ruled that Schiavo’s feeding tube be removed Rep. McHenry issued the following statement:
“This judge belligerently ignored multiple subpoenas from Congress, and I believe he should be held in contempt of Congress,” continued Mr. McHenry, a member of the House Government Reform Committee, which issued subpoenas on Friday to investigate certain aspects of the matter. “This is a matter of life and death, and an out-of-control judge and a husband who abandoned his wife should not be the ones who decide whether or not she should live. We will pass this legislation tonight to save Mrs. Schiavo.” –
NC RumorsMcHenry’s bold statements are not simply political rhetoric. Given the fact that every federal court that has heard the matter, including a conservative US Supreme Court, has upheld Judge Greer’s order, would McHenry now advocate holding those judges in contempt of court?
McHenry’s statement exposes a far deeper reality; the willingness of the Republican Party to bridge the checks and balances of power of the Constitution in order to achieve partisan political ends. When Congress dares to summons judges over their decisions, at any level, the viability of the Constitution stands on thin ground.
Democrats in the 10th District should be explaining the threat that McHenry represents to every citizen in the District. It is time that Democrats stand up against the threat that Republicans like McHenry represent to Constitutional democracy.
Last Update: 03/23/2006