Will the Honorables act honorably?
The legislature is back in session today, with one mission in mind: make our roads less safe so rich people can play with their boats and business interests can make more money. Rob Schofield runs it down:
State legislators return to Raleigh today for one of the strangest special sessions in the history of North Carolina. Just over a month after adjourning the 2007-'08 session for good and heading home to prepare for 2009, lawmakers are now rushing back from all over the country to consider overriding a gubernatorial veto of an ill-conceived bill to, of all things, expand the width of boats that can be towed at will on the state highways.
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According to Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety, Bryan Beatty, the matter is pretty simple:
"If this bill becomes law, allowing these over-width boats to travel on our highways and roads at night, someone's husband, someone's wife, someone's child will be killed. And the Governor and I don't want to be a part of that."
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What will actually happen today is anyone's guess. Unlike many other controversial issues, there really isn't a private highway safety advocacy group to counteract the industry supporters by lobbying in favor of the veto. Add to this the fact that many members may not make it back to Raleigh on such short notice and it could be a bit of strange and unpredictable day on Jones Street.
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Let's hope that cooler (and saner) heads prevail. Boat manufacturing and recreation are certainly important industries in North Carolina. No one wants to cause either of them undue harm. But today's rush to override the sincere and fact-driven actions of the Governor and his administration on a matter of public safety are simply out-of-character for a General Assembly that has done much to improve its performance over the last two years - both with respect to actual legislative output and in cleansing the influence peddling stain from the Jim Black years. They can do better and the drivers and passengers on our highways deserve it.
There's a lot more in Rob's great column. Go read Big Boat Baloney and then contact your representative. You can do it here.
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I'm betting they continue to put profits over people.
What's your bet?
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The NC Family Policy Council doesn't speak for my family
I'm betting...
no one's asked the governor why he waited until the General Assembly left town to veto the bill.
This bill was ratified and presented to him on July 17, while the legislature was still in session. He could have vetoed the bill then, and saved a reconvened session.
Why handle the people's business this way?
Who will get that answer?
tole ya
I told you. It has nothing to do with the Governor being interested in safety. It has to do with sticking it to Basnight et al.
Let's think about this.
Easley was a law-enforcement type of AG and Governor. The law enforcement in NC is COMPLETELY against this bill. If Easley had signed it while they were still in session, then it would have gone over and been passed in the middle of the night during all the IMPORTANT budget fighting. It would have slipped through the cracks.
As it is now, the legislature has to come back, as do the reporters, to focus ONLY on this bill. Easley doesn't like the bill, so he makes Dems come back and say, "Safety be damned, yacht owners are more important than mom, dad, and Tiny Tim."
I think this was ALL about defeating the bill by embarrassing the bill supporters. Problem, I think they are beyond embarrassment.
Your point about strategy is well taken, however
...the budget was signed by the Governor on July 16.
So that was off the table when this item came before him.
Easley has wasted everyones time and money by not following through on his veto threat early on.
Hmmmm....well there is that!
----insert witty remark here----coming soon----
I agree with your analysis on the how
He did indeed seek to embarrass the GA by doing it this way. But I still say that was also his chief reason for the veto. He had the law enforcement argument to use, sure, but his own respect for the law is not any higher than that of the members who blew off the state highway patrol's concerns.
Ask the division and agency heads who've received instructions from him that run counter to what ethics and law would have them do in the performance of their duties as public servants.
I hope this isn't
a Terri Schiavo moment in the legends of NC's political history.
What are these people thinking???
Progressive Democrats of North Carolina
I'm betting that we bet on those who vote against it.
We should take up a $10/person fund to recognize the good judgment of those who vote against this bill, or maybe one Democrat who is in a competitive race.
Great idea
I'm in.
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Jesus Swept, so you can come clean. Available in December from Kitsune Books.
Me too.
That's 10 bucks I'll put in.
who were the 7?
----insert witty remark here----coming soon----
Profits over people
Business. As usual.
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Jesus Swept, so you can come clean. Available in December from Kitsune Books.
And the other consideration involves the liability....
that the state will accept, and the lawsuits following this law passing without the necessary highway engineering needed. Having sat on a few juries involving traffic accident lawsuits, 'experts' are brought into court to show when the states and counties have been negligent.
Jeez.
Do we have the breakdown of who voted against the override? Are there any surprises on that list?
It was 8, Robert
Hall of Fame: Bordsen, Fisher, Hughes, Insko, Jeffus, Luebke, Michaux and Weiss.
The rest of you...to the dungeon!
Of those, who is safe, who is not.
I know that Insko and Luebke are safe.
Susan Fisher has no challenger.
H.M. (Mickey) Michaux has no challenger.
Does anyone have any information about the following races:
Well
Weiss's district is not a safe district, but I wouldnt anticipate her having any problems. She seems popular inside her district, but I don't know the landscape all that well.
Bordsen and Jeffus are likely very safe. Both are very popular in districts that are Democratic enough that a Presidential election helps them.
Hughes I know nothing about. But if you are from Wilmington and you voted against overriding then kudos to you.
"Keep the Faith"
We had a guest editorial in our local paper today against
this ill conceived piece of .... um ... legislation. You know if Person Co. has some tangible evidence that the NC Highway Patrol is against this bill then it MUST be a bad idea.
Odd that Ellie Kinnaird voted for this bill. Not her usual style. Or was that list of 8 GA members just for the House????
Person County Democrats
Not her style?
There were only 39 votes I think, so some were absent. On the other hand, Ellie Kinnaird has become a rubber stamp.
Here's the voting round-up:
For the House:
For the Senate:
yeah, there's Kinnaird.
Rubber Stamp for Basnight and the boys. Oh, how you've fallen Kinnaird. I'm ashamed to have you as my Senator on days like this.
Kinnaird
That sucks.
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Jesus Swept, so you can come clean.