Tag search result

Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday tried to fight legislation backed by Gov. Pat McCrory to curb civil service protections for state employees -- a day after they missed the bill on the calendar and inadvertently voted to give it preliminary approval.

House Bill 834 received a 110-5 vote Tuesday. But Democrats mounted an effort to amend the measure Wednesday, trying to limit the number of political appointments the governor's office can make for state positions and add protections for workers who are cut under a reorganization plan.

All three failed. But the final vote to approve the bill was much closer at 74-40. A Democratic lawmaker said caucus members didn't realize what the bill did when they voted for it a day earlier.

Democratic State Rep. Marcus Brandon made his intentions to seek Congressman Mel Watt's 12th District seat official, according to Federal Election Commission documents made public this week.

Watt is President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the Federal Housing Finance Administration. If confirmed, a Democratic frenzy is expected in the race to replace him.

A campaign treasurer for Brandon, a High Point political consultant, filed papers May 1, the day the president announced Watt's appointment, to create the Marcus Brandon for Congress political committee, the first step needed to raise money for a potential bid.

Voters in the 12th District could be looking at a crowded field in a special election to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, nominated Wednesday for a federal housing post.

President Barack Obama tapped Watt to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Depending on the timing of any Senate confirmation, a special election could be held during this fall’s municipal elections or even before. The list of potential replacements is growing longer by the minute. Read more here.

Police have charged a man with stabbing and seriously wounding two well-known Democratic political strategists at their home in North Raleigh on Monday evening.

Jonathon Wayne Broyhill is accused of stabbing Nation Richard Hahn and his wife, Jameson Kirk Hahn, at 1705 Tealwood Place. Broyhill, 31, has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

Police say Broyhill knew the Hahns but have not disclosed what led to the stabbing, except to say that investigators think “the events underlying the incident were not domestic in nature.” Broyhill was also injured and taken to the hospital.

National Democrats are rallying opposition to a North Carolina bill calling it a "poll tax."

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is asking supporters to sign a petition against Senate bill 666, which would prohibit parents from claiming a dependent deduction for children who register to vote elsewhere. The bill is particularly aimed at college students.

The DLCC called it GOP voter suppression and a "student voter tax."


"We still need your help to stop North Carolina Republicans’ outrageous Poll Tax bill," Dave Griggs, the DLCC deputy national field director wrote. "Democrats must mobilize to defeat these voter suppression tactics before it’s too late – please sign our petition standing up for North Carolina voting rights!"

TODAY AT THE STATEHOUSE: A controversial voter ID measure gets a double billing Wednesday, appearing in a 1 p.m. House Election Committe meeting for discussion only and a 4 p.m. public hearing. A lawyer from the Indiana Secretary of State's Office and the N.C. NAACP's William Barber will present at the earlier meeting. The House will also unveil a major education bill at a 2 p.m. press conference, just hours after a Senate panel considers President Pro Tem Phil Berger's own overhaul plan at a 10 a.m.

Senate committees will also consider bills to increase the speed limit on some highways to 75 mph and provide tax money to the Carolina Panthers for stadium renovations. Gov. Pat McCrory will attend a private reception for the N.C. Homebuilders Association at 5 p.m. The group is advancing two controversial measures this session to limit local control of inspections and design standards for homes that are angering counties and cities. Wonder how Mayor Pat would have reacted to the legislation?

McCRORY'S FIRST 100 DAYS: The governor is nearing the 100-day mark of his term -- a benchmark that means little but will generate a media extravaganza. McCrory is sitting down with various media outlets this week, about 10 minutes at a time, to discuss his accomplishments. WRAL-TV is the first with an interview. Check it out here. 

***Good morning and thanks for reading the Dome Morning Memo. More North Carolina political news and analysis below.***

ANOTHER GAMBLING BUST WITH N.C. TIES: On the same day Florida prosecutors busted a gambling operation that snared a company with major North Carolina political ties, an Ohio prosecutor leveled a new indictment against another sweepstakes company with Tar Heel ties.

The March 13 superseding indictment updated charges filed in May against VS2 Worldwide Communications, a company that operated illegal Internet sweepstakes gaming software, according to local news reports. The company's owners, Phillip Cornick of New Jersey and Richard Upchurch of Ramseur, face charges in Ohio of money laundering and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.

The two men and their wives contributed more than $45,000 to North Carolina political candidates -- including Gov. Pat McCrory -- with more than half coming after their initial May indictments.

HAGAN ONE OF 11 SENATE DEMOCRATS NOT TO ENDORSE GAY MARRIAGE: North Carolina's Kay Hagan remains opposed to gay marriage, even though three prominent Democrats colleagues recently shifted their stances. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday (California's Proposition 8) and Wednesday (the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA) about same-sex marriage.

**More on the VS2's campaign contributions and Hagan's stance on gay marriage below in today's Dome Morning Memo. Sends news and tips to dome@newsobserver.com. Thanks for reading.***

Republican lawmakers are giving Gov. Pat McCrory's budget a favorable rating -- particularly compared to his Democratic predecessor -- but Democrats are raising concerns about taking money from outside entities, particularly those focused on economic development and minority programs.

State Budget Director Art Pope presented the plan to lawmakers Thursday, a day after it was submitted to the legislature for consideration.

"If this was the budget bracket battle, this would go to the next round," Republican state Rep. Tom Murry said, playing office the start of March Madness. The previous governor's budget would have been eliminated in the first round.

But Democrats are concerned about gutting once-sacred cows, such as the Golden LEAF Foundation, N.C. Rural Economic Development Center and other programs that received money from the state commerce department.

HAGAN HIRES FORMER REID AIDE AS CAMPAIGN MANAGER: The 2014 U.S. Senate race is taking shape with Democratic incumbent Kay Hagan hiring Preston Elliott as her campaign manager. Elliott most recently served in the same role to help U.S. Sen. Jon Tester win re-election in Montana, one of the closely watched races of the 2012 campaign cycle. In 2010, Elliott worked as coordinated campaign director for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in his re-election effort, another high profile race. The big hire signals that Hagan expects a big fight in 2014. "He has a proven track record of success, and with his help and the help of North Carolinians of all walks of life, I expect to cross the finish line with a victory in November 2014," Hagan said in a statement.

WHO WILL HAGAN FACE?: A new Public Policy Polling survey -- set for release later Tuesday and obtained exclusively by Dome -- shows its a wide open race among Republican primary voters. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest leads the field with 18 percent, according ot the Democratic polling firm. PPP added Forest's name to the potential field for the first time this month and he still managed to outpace Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (13 percent) and Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry (12 percent). The only announced candidate, tea partier Greg Brannon, gets 4 percent and at least a quarter of voters weren't decided on any of the nine names PPP tested. (More from the poll below.)

***Thanks for reading the Dome Morning Memo -- the source for North Carolina political news and analysis. Send news and tips to dome@newsobserver.com. Much more Memo below.***

UPDATED:With the Senate's final approval Wednesday, a measure to let a modest state tax credit for low- and moderate-income taxpayers expire in 2013 is headed to Gov. Pat McCrory.

The measure sunsets the earned income tax credit (EITC) -- after a one-year extension -- drew the scorn of Democrats, who unsuccessfully sought to extend it. The legislation lowers the state's tax break slightly for the 2013 tax year because the federal tax credit increased.

Republicans said the bill is standard fixes to "decouple" the state from federal tax policy. But Democrats link it with efforts this session to curtail unemployment benefits and prevent Medicaid expansion to show the majority party is disregarding the poor.