It was a busy week in Raleigh as the House voted to override the Governor’s veto in a controversial vote. Both chambers also began work on redrawing legislative maps following a court order to do so.
In local news, municipal primary elections, as well as two congressional special elections, were held Tuesday, September 10.
Click here to review our election synopsis of the special elections and primary outcomes in Charlotte races.
Issue Insights
State and Legislative Issues
State Budget
On Wednesday, the House voted to override the Governor’s veto of HB 966, 2019 Appropriations Act, by a vote of 55-9. The vote was controversial as less than 20 percent of Democratic House members were in the chamber at the time the vote was taken. Democrats claimed they had been told by Republican House leaders that no votes would occur during the early morning session and that they were therefore preparing for committee meetings that followed shortly thereafter. Republican leaders countered that no such announcement had been made and that Democrats should have been present at a properly noticed session for which the override motion was on the calendar. The vote sparked outrage from the Democratic members that were present, with one legislator yelling on the floor that the vote was the result of trickery and deceit.
NC House overrides budget veto in surprise vote with almost half of lawmakers absent (Raleigh News & Observer)
‘Be in your seats’: House GOP leader said he sent text before controversial NC vote (Raleigh News & Observer)
Redistricting
Both the House and Senate spent most of the week working on new legislative maps following a court ruling declaring the current maps unconstitutional as a partisan gerrymander. In order to comply with requirements that partisan data not be used, the Senate began with an unusual process – representatives from the state lottery were on hand with their equipment to select a base map at random. The committee had previously developed criteria it would use in selecting a base map and had directed staff to apply that criteria to more than 1,000 base maps. Staff applied the criteria and identified the five plans that performed the best on the five criteria. Once those plans were identified, the lottery equipment was used to pick one base map at random. The Senate will proceed with that map and will allow members to offer specific amendments to that map.
In Senate redraw, lottery machine picks district maps at random (WRAL)
Did NC lawmakers look at data banned by gerrymandering ruling on Day 1 of redraw? (Charlotte Observer)
News Roundup
- Carolina governors from opposite sides of political aisle, state line find common ground at Charlotte business leaders’ retreat (Charlotte Business Journal)
- Lawmakers advance bill for disaster recovery aid, but not for Dorian (WRAL)
- $2.3 billion in new development planned for downtown Raleigh (Raleigh News & Observer)
- Will the Carolinas feel impacts from what could be Tropical Storm Humberto? (Charlotte Observer)
- Anger over House budget veto override spills into second day (WRAL)
- Task force aims to solve RDU funding shortfall ‘before it’s too late’ (Triangle Business Journal)