A new force in Raleigh
What a difference a governor makes! Just a week or so ago, people were asking, “With veto proof majorities in the legislature, what can Roy Cooper do?” Well, yesterday he told us. He can try to expand Medicaid. He can call out Republicans who won’t repeal HB2. He can...
The right choice for the NCDP
North Carolina’s loss may the North Carolina Democratic Party’s gain. Former Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, who lost re-election by less than 1%, is running for chair of the state party. Wayne brings exceptional experience to the job. He’s not only been elected...
2017: Democracy at risk
I’m not optimistic about 2017 and I’m too concerned about our future to write a silly piece about predictions. Besides, after 2016, I don’t know what to expect, but I doubt it will be good. At the national level, we have an insecure narcissist as President-elect of...
Governing in the age of social media
When the conversation about repealing HB2 began, the deal was clear. Charlotte would repeal its nondiscrimination ordinance and then the General Assembly would come back in a special session to repeal HB2 in full. President Pro-Tem Phil Berger felt sure he could...
Cemeteries
Cemeteries have always been an important part of my life. I bonded most with my grandmother when wandering through forests that had once been fields searching for a graveyard that contained the bones of a long lost relative. We never found the grave we were looking...
Happy Holidays!
What a beautiful song and rendition of it. RIP Leonard Cohen. Hallelujah
They own it
The GOP continues to bring shame to the state of North Carolina. Last week, they stripped power from the newly elected Democratic governor and gave it to themselves. Yesterday, they spent $42,000 of the people’s money just to go into session and come out with nothing....
Meet incoming House Minority Leader Darren Jackson
North Carolina House Democrats selected a new minority leader on Monday. Darren Jackson was just re-elected to his fifth term, serving eastern Wake County. He’ll be the first Democratic leader who has spent most of his political career in the minority party. Jackson...
Of course it’s politics
Republicans are twisting themselves into knots trying to blame the fallout from HB2 on Democrats. Now that the law is about to be repealed they’re blaming—gasp—politics. Who’d a thunk it? Of course it was politics. The bill was a political scheme designed to motivate...
Norms and traditions
If you were to read most accounts of the special session of the legislature in North Carolina this week, you would probably think that it was designed to strip power from incoming governor, Democrat Roy Cooper. It had all the makings of shenanigans. The session came...
