Some days, it's like trying to drink from a fire hose...
Buncombe Commissioners seem afraid to govern
The Buncombe Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) made some changes to its personnel policies, while rejecting an effort to put them in control of employee pay raises.
I'll go over this in detail on the show today.
Judges remove two constitutional amendments from ballot
The Carolina Journal has the details on that scrapped two proposed constitutional amendments from the ballot. They said voters wouldn't understand what the amendments would do.
In an unusual order likely to be appealed, a majority of a three-judge Superior Court panel removed two constitutional amendments from the Nov. 6 ballot. The court ruled the language drafted by the Republican-led General Assembly would mislead voters.
Judges Forrest Bridges, a Democrat, and Thomas Lock, unaffiliated, ruled ballot language describing constitutional amendments involving separation of powers and filling judicial vacancies didn’t accurately describe the intent or consequences of the amendments. They granted a preliminary injunction Tuesday, Aug. 21, to keep them off the ballot.
Judge Jeffery Carpenter, a Republican, dissented, and will file a separate opinion.
The full panel agreed voters could understand the ballot language for constitutional amendments requiring photo ID to vote and capping the income tax rate, and left them on the ballot.
The panel didn’t consider the N.C. Conference of NAACP’s contention that the General Assembly was a usurper legislative body unconstitutionally seated through racial gerrymandering. The court said it didn’t have jurisdiction to make such a ruling, and even if the group’s arguments were correct, implementing the ruling would cause chaos.
The NAACP says it will appeal.
Confederate statues to remain at NC Capitol
The NC Historical Commission met today and decided to keep the three Confederate monuments at the State Capitol. But they also proposed adding more memorials.
Longleaf Politics has a good write-up on the issue, including what happened this morning:
The commission was tasked with approving or denying Gov. Cooper’s petition to move the Confederate monuments on the State Capitol grounds to the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site in Johnston County.
Citing the 2015 state law, a split N.C. Historical Commission voted not to approve moving the monuments.
The commission did vote unanimously to acknowledge that representation at the State Capitol grounds was imbalanced, and supported raising money to add monuments honoring African-Americans and other minority groups.
They also recommended adding signage putting the Confederate monuments in historical context.
In the meeting, commission member Chris E. Fonvielle Jr., a professional historian, did affirm at length that the Civil War was about slavery. He also acknowledged that the statues mean different things to different people. But he said that more than 80% of North Carolinians are not in favor of moving them, per public comments.
Other commission members said that the General Assembly is in its power to change the 2015 law, and said the commission could recommend adding more context around the monuments.
“I believe the monuments need to tell the truth,” said commission member Samuel Dixon. “I think we can tell a full and inclusive story.”
I think this approach might show the most promise for people seeking peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
Iconoclasts will not be satisfied with this, I'm sure. But iconoclasts never are satisfied.
The Governor says the General Assembly needs to change the law to allow for monuments to be removed.
But, wait! There's more!
The lawyer for Donald Trump's lawyer says "There is no dispute that Donald Trump committed a crime." President Trump ripped Michael Cohen and accused him of making up stories.
The President's former campaign manager was convicted on 8 of 18 federal charges.
There may be more victims of Spartanburg serial killer Todd Kohlhepp.
A federal judge ruled that the NC Constitution Party can have its candidates listed on the ballot
Marion names Bigfoot as its official animal.