Tag search result

State Rep. William Wainwright, a leading Democrat, died Tuesday evening. He was 64.

Wainwright, the deputy Democratic leader and former House speaker pro tem from Havelock, battled an unspecified illness for the past year and recently was admitted to hospice care. The cause of death is unknown.

"William Wainwright conducted his business at the General Assembly with as much passion as anyone I encountered during my time in office," said House Democratic leader Joe Hackney. "He was a talented negotiator motivated only by what was best for the people of his district. He was speaker pro tem during my four years as speaker and deputy minority leader for our caucus for the past two years, but we have been friends for much longer. I will miss him."

--A cadre of veteran state lawmakers will retire at the end of the year - and special perks in state law allow them to land with a financial parachute. Take former House Speaker Joe Hackney: the 66-year-old attorney with 32 years in the legislature can expect to receive a $41,000 annual pension for the rest of his life.

A North Carolina law that allows the state's part-time lawmakers to add an expense stipend to their base salary when calculating retirement benefits boosts their pensions by more than 30 percent, according to a News & Observer analysis. The percentage of salary lawmakers receive as an annual payout also is more than double the rate afforded most state workers. Read more and see the $10K Club here.

--A group that plans to mount a novel third-party presidential campaign is poised to get on the North Carolina ballot, a move that could change the electoral dynamics in a key battleground state. A state elections official says Americans Elect appears to have the required signatures to get on the November ballot alongside President Barack Obama and the Republican and Libertarian nominees. The state could certify them in early March. Read more here.

UPDATED: The House overrode the veto of the teachers dues checkoff bill, accomplishing their long-sought payback to the N.C. Association of Educators for its lobbying efforts.

And then they went home, adjourning until February without taking up voter ID or offshore/onshore drilling.

Gov. Perdue issued a statement calling the session unconstitutional because legislators took up an issue that was not the reason they had convened.

“The Republicans in the General Assembly didn’t have the votes to get what they wanted legally," Perdue's statement said. "So, in the dark of night, they engaged in an unprecedented, unconstitutional power grab. I am saddened for the people of North Carolina that the Republicans abused their power and chose this destructive path.” 

In pursuing a midnight session, House Democratic Leader Joe Hackney said Republicans broke a pledge not to consider any legislation other than one bill involving the Racial Justice Act.

The deal: Democrats would request the governor go ahead with appointment of Trudi Walend, a crucial Republican vote, to replace Rep. David Guice, if Republicans wouldn't consider other legislation. If the appointment was finalized by 6:30 p.m., the deal was set, Hackney said.

Republicans see this as trading a seat for a vote (or no votes, in this case). But Hackney rejected such an accusation as "ridiculous."

He said Democrats pushed Perdue to make the appointment faster -- she has seven days to finalize the Republicans' appointment. "The governor was asked to act abnormally in that matter," he said. Read more below.