Democracy

Former North Carolina U.S. Senator Kay Hagan dies at 66.

By Eleanore Wood / October 28, 2019 / Comments Off on Former North Carolina U.S. Senator Kay Hagan dies at 66.

Today we deeply mourn the loss of Kay Hagan. She served in the NCGA for 10 years and in the US senate for 6. She was a key vote in the passing of the Affordable Care Act and always represented our state with courage and grace. From Politico: Kay Hagan, a former bank executive who…

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House Minority Leader challenges GOP leaders to lie detector test over budget ambush

By Eleanore Wood / October 23, 2019 / Comments Off on House Minority Leader challenges GOP leaders to lie detector test over budget ambush

This morning, House Minority Leader Darren Jackson challenged Republican leaders to take a lie detector test in order to settle competing claims over the budget ambush vote orchestrated by Speaker Tim Moore earlier this month. Republican leaders claim they merely took dishonest advantage of a miscommunication to House Democrats as if that wouldn’t be bad enough. Jackson…

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Trump impeachment effort gains steam in North Carolina

By Eleanore Wood / October 9, 2019 / Comments Off on Trump impeachment effort gains steam in North Carolina

What was once just wishful thinking from the left has actually translated to significant action in Congress as the impeachment investigation into Donald Trump’s corrupt abuses of power gains steam. A government whistleblower has come forward to reveal that Trump asked the new president of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his family on flimsy accusations of…

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Recipients of tainted Lindberg money should give back donations

By Eleanore Wood / October 8, 2019 / Comments Off on Recipients of tainted Lindberg money should give back donations

Last week, former NCGOP chair Robin Hayes pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI as part of an alleged bribery scheme involving indicted businessman Greg Lindberg. As part of his plea deal, Hayes will cooperate with federal prosecutors investigating an alleged scheme to funnel $2 million in campaign donations to Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey and the NCGOP…

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Berger promises at least 24 hours’ notice on override — for whatever that’s worth

By Eleanore Wood / October 4, 2019 / Comments Off on Berger promises at least 24 hours’ notice on override — for whatever that’s worth

Sen. Phil Berger has promised that Senate Republicans will not repeat the budget ambush vote orchestrated by Speaker Tim Moore in the House last month — though Berger has a track record of dishonesty that should give pause to anyone who does not believe the word “gullible” is written on the ceiling. Republican leaders claim they merely…

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Lawmakers fail to incorporate transparency, openness in redistricting process

By Eleanore Wood / September 17, 2019 / Comments Off on Lawmakers fail to incorporate transparency, openness in redistricting process

Earlier this month, a three-judge panel of the Wake County Superior Court ruled unanimously in the case of Common Cause v. Lewis that the General Assembly violated the state constitution when it gerrymandered legislative districts for partisan gain. The court gave the legislature until Sept. 18 to draw new House and Senate districts, applying strict nonpartisan criteria…

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Charlotte Observer: NC Republicans’ shameless theft of democracy

By Eleanore Wood / September 12, 2019 / Comments Off on Charlotte Observer: NC Republicans’ shameless theft of democracy

“This is a travesty of the process and you know it,”said Rep. Deb Butler, D-New Hanover. On 9/11, the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on American soil, Republicans in the NC House of Representatives misled Democrats to sneak a vote to override Gov. Cooper’s veto of the state budget. Democrats in the NC House…

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GOP budget standoff drags through its second month

By Eleanore Wood / August 20, 2019 / Comments Off on GOP budget standoff drags through its second month

The cost of GOP budget inaction is about $42,000 per day, or about a million dollars and counting. Legislative Republicans can either hold an override vote or return to the negotiating table, but instead, they’re doing neither while pointing fingers at the governor. Enough House Democrats have pledged to sustain Gov. Cooper’s budget veto that Republicans have…

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NC House Dems to GOP leaders: You don’t have the votes for budget override

By Eleanore Wood / August 13, 2019 / Comments Off on NC House Dems to GOP leaders: You don’t have the votes for budget override

Summer is almost over, and in a couple of weeks, kids will head back to school. But our state budget still hangs in limbo as Republicans continue to refuse to negotiate.  Last week, House Democrats published a pledge to sustain Gov. Cooper’s budget veto which was signed by 51 of 55 House Democrats — all…

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“Two-Faced Tillis’s” latest game of mental gymnastics

By Eleanore Wood / June 18, 2019 / Comments Off on “Two-Faced Tillis’s” latest game of mental gymnastics

As he gears up for a tough reelection campaign, Thom Tillis has become less of an occasional flip-flopper and more of a mental gymnast, capable of taking one contradictory position after the other as he attempts to curry favor with North Carolina voters while also sucking up to Donald Trump. This time, “Two-Faced Tillis” claims…

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