veto

Perdue vetos secret records bill

markjohnson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:01:42 -0400

Gov. Beverly Perdue vetoed a bill Thursday that would keep secret various records that legislators send or receive in the process of drafting legislation.

The bill would keep confidential documents submitted to lawmakers or their staff regarding legislation being drafted. And documents or requests sent by legislative staffers to state agencies regarding bills being drafted would also remain secret.

"This bill unnecessarily adds new restrictions on public access to documents and information," Perdue said.

More after the jump.

Perdue has some signing to do

bniolet — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:46:41 -0400

Gov. Beverly Perdue's desk must look a little something like Dome's cluttered and paper-filled workstation.

The legislature wrapped up its session earlier this month leaving 108 bills for Perdue to sign into law. She has 30 days after the end of the session to sign the bills and as of Sunday, day 12, she has signed none, according to Gerry Cohen, the legislature's bill drafting director.

The bills cover a host of subjects: from licensing requirements for hair braiding, to a bill that would prohibit a sex offender from getting a license to drive a school bus to a bill banning a hallucinogenic herb. Cohen has posted a list of the bills on his Drafting Musings blog.

Perdue could sign the bills into law. She could veto them. If she doesn't act within 30 days, all the bills become law, according to Cohen because North Carolina has no pocket veto.

Update: Chrissy Pearson, a spokeswoman for Perdue, said the governor is reviewing the bills with her staff.

"We don't have a decision made on all of them yet as to whether she will sign them," Pearson said.

Perdue is likely to sign bills as they are reviewed, rather than all at once, so Dome's image of the governor running through a box of pens in a sign-a-thon isn't likely to come true.

Burr will oppose Sebelius nomination

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:18:38 -0400

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr will oppose Kathleen Sebelius' nomination.

The Winston-Salem Republican said today that he cannot support the Kansas governor's nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services because of her recent veto of an abortion bill.

On Thursday, Sebelius vetoed a bill that would have amended Kansas law on late-term abortions, questioning whether it was constitutional and suggesting it would lead to intimidation of doctors.

Burr said that he had some concerns about Sebelius' "tax problems" after he estimtony in March, though he did not think they were "disqualifying."

"However, I am troubled by her decision late last week to veto a Kansas bill that would have tightened restrictions on late term abortions, and I intend to vote against her confirmation," he said in a statement.

Full statement after the jump.

Mungers zingers at UNC-TV debate

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:32:45 -0400

Mike Munger got a rare statewide platform tonight.

The Libertarian gubernatorial candidate made good use of his appearance at a debate on UNC-TV to get off a few zingers. (Mingers?)

On mental health reform: "There was an overhaul in 2001. To me, it looked more like a frat party."

On corporate incentives: "This focus on trying to pay companies to come here is basically economic prostitution that's not going to last in the long run."

On the veto: "I think of the veto like spanking your child. It means that you're a bad parent, that you haven't successfully used all of the things that should come before that. Now maybe it sometimes still happens, but it really means it's a failure for you, and it's a failure for the child."

On voting for third-party candidates: "Unless you have Jedi powers, you're not going to be able to control the way other people vote. You have one precious vote. Your decision on how to cast it will send a signal to our leaders in Raleigh."

McCrory's plan for government reform

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:39:25 -0400

Pat McCrory highlighted his proposals for government reform at the Tuesday session on ethics by the N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform in Raleigh.

McCrory called for:

* Weekly Internet reports from campaigns showing who gave them money.

* A ban on cash contributions (now limited to $50).

* A prohibition on legislators raising money for nonprofits. Relatives of several legislators received scholarships in recent years from a nonprofit for which the lawmakers raised money.

* A requirement that legislators publicly stand up and declare their conflict of interest on a piece of legislation.

* A veto of any budget with items added in private sessions and not by the House or Senate during the regular budget process.

* No campaign fundraising by transportation, university or ABC boards.

* Public listing of all state contracts and bids.

* Public access to copies of the governor's e-mail.

Who voted 'no?'

bniolet — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:38:54 -0400

Eight members of the House voted against overriding Gov. Mike Easley's veto of a wide boats bill.

Those members are:

Alice Bordsen, D-Alamance

Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe

Sandra Spaulding Hughes, D-Wilmington

Verla Insko, D-Orange

Maggie Jeffus, D-Guilford

Paul Luebke, D-Durham

Mickey Michaux, D-Durham

Jennifer Weiss, D-Wake

In the Senate, Ed Jones, D-Halifax, voted against override, but Jones' vote was not recorded because he paired his vote with the absent Doug Berger, D-Franklin. Under the Senate's rules, Jones can cast Berger's vote for him, but it means neither vote is recorded.

The House and Senate roll call votes are below.

Document(s):
veto votes.pdf

Easley: It's on their hands now

bniolet — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:09:47 -0400

Gov. Mike Easley said in a statement that he won't feel responsible for any harm that comes from wide boats on the roads.

"I have done what I thought was right to protect the safety of the public on our highways," Easley said through a spokesman.

"It will be the members of the General Assembly who will have on their hands the consequences of this law. I hope and pray no one gets hurt."

Easley became the first governor in state history to have a veto shot down by the legislature.

Get out of the way...

bkrueger — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:12:18 -0400

Get out of the way...

"If there is no problem, I see no reason for government to participate in creating a problem, and to potentially damage the boat building industry is wrong."

Senate Democratic leader Marc Basnight arguing in favor of overriding Gov. Mike Easley's veto of a bill to relax width requirements for towing boats on state highways.

Comments (2)

Senate overrides the veto

bniolet — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:46:05 -0400

The Senate has voted 39-0 to override Gov. Mike Easley's veto of a wide boats bill.

The vote, which followed brief debate, makes history as Easley's veto is the first to be overridden.

Senate leader Marc Basnight said that Easleys' protests of safety problems if too-wide boats are hauled on state roads, do not reflect the reality — that for years wide boats have been on state roads with few problems.

"If there is no problem, I see no reason for government to participate in creating a problem and to potentially damage the boat building industry is wrong," Basnight said.

Sen. Ed Jones, a retired state trooper, was the only legislator in either chamber to speak in favor of the veto.

"I felt like today the governor saw a mistake that we made by voting for this," said Jones, a Halifax County Democrat.

Nine minutes

bniolet — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:12:12 -0400

The House overrode Gov. Mike Easley's veto nine minutes after the session started.

Rep. Arthur Williams, who sponsored the wide boat bill, spoke before calling for a vote.

"I think this bill stands on its own merit and the people have spoken out," said Williams, a Democrat from Washington.

Members agreed to cut off debate and the vote to override was 92 in favor and 7 against.

The issue now goes to the Senate.

Correction: A previous version of this post misstated Williams' hometown. Dome regrets the error.

Update: After the vote, four more voters were added bringing the final, official vote tally to 95 to 8.