![\"\"](\"https:\/\/beemandave.com\/beemanblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/NC_Protestors-300x200.jpg\")
It is a busy time here at the end of a long, \u00a0ugly year. \u00a0 \u00a0There are so many instances of insanity in the Political World that I am motivated to post a comment on at least one. \u00a0 So…This essay is about the situation in North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For y’all that have not heard…the Republican Governor of the state lost his re-election bid, and will be replaced by a Democrat. \u00a0 There are a number of explanations for this somewhat unexpected turn of events, \u00a0but, \u00a0I suspect the virulent Anti-LGBTQ \u00a0legislation passed and signed by the governor earlier this year is a big factor in it. \u00a0 This legislation has already cost the state $Millions \u00a0as quite a number of large events have canceled their trips to the state and moved their event, and of course, the cash that would have come with these events, to another state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, \u00a0as the inauguration of the Democratic Governor nears, \u00a0the Republican Legislators and Governor are frantically passing new laws that will limit the powers of the incoming Governor. \u00a0 They are, of course, trying to do it under the cover of darkness so no one will notice! They called a special session of the Legislature, \u00a0and as the night spread across the state, \u00a0they started passing many restrictive bills. \u00a0 It was a classic example of smoke and mirrors too! \u00a0 The Legislators announced that they were having a special session to pass disaster relief for victims of floods and fire in the state. \u00a0Well, \u00a0they did that…then, \u00a0they closed that session and immediately called another special session, “without an Agenda”. \u00a0 This was a surprise for everyone except the Republicans who had set it up. \u00a0They, \u00a0by the by, \u00a0tried to claim that it was a last minute decision. \u00a0However, \u00a0already paperwork has shown up showing that this “special session” was planned several days in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some of the actions that they have taken already:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- The Republican Legislators have taken action to make it harder for the disadvantaged to vote, all in the hopes that the Republicans can keep and maintain their hold on political power in the state.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- They have passed a bill that cuts, \u00a0by almost 2\/3, \u00a0the number of positions in the government appointed by the Governor. \u00a0The end result is that the political appointees of the Republican Governor will now become permanent employees of the state.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- They have passed “Election reform bills.” \u00a0These rework the state board of elections and combines it with the state ethics commission. Previously, the state board of elections had a 3-2 majority in favor of the governor\u2019s party, while every county board had a 2-1 advantage for the governor\u2019s party. Under the new rules, the state board will have eight members, four of each party, appointed half by the governor and half by the legislature. County boards will have four members. The chairmanship will rotate, but appears to guarantee that Republicans will lead the board during crucial even-numbered election years for the foreseeable future.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- They increased the power of the state’s appellate court.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Supreme Court elections, which have been nonpartisan but handed a majority to Democrat-aligned justices this November, will now be partisan. This change requires that the party affiliations of judicial candidates to be printed on ballots.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- They confirmed Yolanda Stith, the wife of (ex Governor) McCrory\u2019s chief of staff, to the state industrial commission. (During this time, Republicans complained that the protestors outside were disrupting a triumphal moment for a black woman.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Update, 2023<\/mark><\/strong> — A bit after I wrote this essay, a second bill was introduced by the House, passed, and signed into law by the lame-duck Governor. It continued to erode the power of the office…and here is a list of the changes it made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- \n
- It significantly reduced the number of administrative positions in the executive branch<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- It requires the Governor’s Cabinet secretaries to receive Senate confirmation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- It strips the governor of his right to appoint trustees to the University of North Carolina<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- It takes away some of the governor’s power to oversee schools in the state.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Needless to say, \u00a0there WERE quite a few protestors at the state Capitol, \u00a0and upwards of 55 of those folks were arrested for protesting this raw power grab. \u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bottom line for me, though is that it should be impossible for the legislators to claim that there was not a strong, \u00a0racial\/economic motive to these changes, \u00a0as many of the new laws put into place by these Right-Wing legislators have openly attacked the ability to vote of people of color or of lower economic class. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The combination of the rhetoric produced by the Right-Wingers, the actions they have taken, and the care that they took to mask what was going on by keeping it from being publicized, and doing the deed in the dark of night, make it look to me as this is nothing more than a palace coup, \u00a0emboldened by the grifted victory of #45 in the presidential election, to take and hold legislative power, against the express wishes of the Citizens of North Carolina. \u00a0 This will bite the Right-Wing in the ass at some point in time, I am sure, \u00a0 but, considering the political climate we are in right now, I can only hope that America is still around to see it happen. \u00a0 This is such a bad situation that it has moved far beyond any sane commentary other than to say it is another step towards turning America into a fascist state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God Help Us All<\/div>
Pleasant Dreams???<\/p>\n\n\n\nBee Man Dave<\/p>\n\n\n\n
=-=-=-=-=
Powered by Blogilo<\/a><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"