I had to laugh when I read this Under the Dome:

House Speaker Thom Tillis issued a warning last weekend to his fellow Repubicans [sic] about overreaching with their supermajority power.

Too bad the joke's on us.

Top story today: Pat McCrory supports legislation that will allow the state to take over Asheville's water system. All because he wants to see what happens in the courts when Asheville sues the state. Predictably, he'll let the abomination become law without actually signing it. True leadership.

McCrory to let Asheville water bill become law (AP) -- Gov. Pat McCrory, former mayor of the state’s largest city, said Wednesday he will let a bill become law that would shift control of a western North Carolina water system so that expected litigation by the city of Asheville can run its course.
http://www.wral.com/mccrory-to-let-asheville-water-bill-become-law/12426...

A strong majority of North Carolina voters support the state’s public campaign financing program for judicial candidates, according to a new poll commissioned by the nonpartisan N.C. Center for Voter Education.

The survey finds that 68 percent of state voters favor the judicial public financing program, with just 23 percent opposed. Voters across the political spectrum support judicial public financing, including 67 percent of Republicans, 69 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of unaffiliated voters.

Protecting our Teenagers

NC lawmakers have made our teenagers their next target of their extreme agenda.

House Bill 693, which would deny North Carolina's teens access to confidential health services including sexually transmitted infections (STIs), mental health counseling, pregnancy prevention and substance abuse was pulled from the NC House calendar at the last minute by Speaker Thom Tillis.

If this bill becomes law, North Carolina would be the first state in the US to require a parent's notarized signature for pregnancy prevention, STD testing and treatment, mental health counseling and other time-sensitive health concerns. Recognizing the time-sensitive nature of these medical issues, every state in the U.S. currently allows teenagers to seek confidential care for the treatment of one or more of these health care needs.

From thepaulatics blog

The breaking news alerts were coming like bullets in a high-capacity magazine.

• House passes bill to allow concealed guns in public places like...wait for it...restaurants and bars...Where alcohol is served. Bring your guns to parks and college campuses, too. Only the current combination of ignorance and arrogance from lawmakers could be worse.
• House repeals NC's 40-year-old minor's consent law that encourages teens to seek medical care for sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, mental disorders, HIV/AIDS and unintended pregnancies. Incest and rape does not happen in the rose-colored world of "family values."

Hijacking the ship of state:

ALEC’s role in North Carolina makes it a target for critics, particularly the think tank’s cozy relationship with business interests, who play a prominent, but mostly behind-the-scenes, role in crafting legislation alongside the roughly 50 North Carolina lawmakers listed as members.

Sweet Baby Jesus. 50 members? That's a fricking caucus, and a powerful one at that. And when said caucus is engaged in (what should be classified as) criminally dangerous behavior, it might be time to ask the (US) DOJ to step in:

The immoral actions of our illegitimate government continue unabated. We have a sacred obligation to resist on every front.

A truckload of bad news below.

RALEIGH, NC—

As North Carolinians join today to reflect on the hard work and dedication put forth by our teachers, Republicans in Raleigh are celebrating National Teacher Day with their much-anticipated crusade to privatize public education in North Carolina. Their Trojan Horse, S.B. 337, will come to the floor today as Phil Berger and Senate Republicans seek to upend accountability and educator standards for North Carolina’s charter schools.

The legislation, as stands, would simultaneously take funding and facility-space from public schools, end requirements to offer busing, or free or reduced-price lunch, which would disenfranchise children from low-income families. S.B. 337 also eliminates key requirements for Charter school teachers to have college degrees or teaching certificates and eliminate requirements for educators to have background checks...

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From Press Release from the NC Democratic Party

Speaking of power grabs:

Peter Walz @peterwalz
Didnt know they held veto MT @NCPW_LegisWatch Halliburton nixes NC’s fracking chemical disclosure rule ow.ly/kFAna #ncpol #ncga

In any sane world, disclosure of what chemicals a private company wants to inject into the ground would be a "no brainer" requirement. But in the world of fracking, and especially in the now free-market-fantasy State of North Carolina, corporate board room decisions trump those of the people: