5 + 6 = Ugly defeat in November

By Tom Campbell, Producer and Moderator of NC SPIN, August 23, 2018.

Someone should tell our legislative leadership that sometimes it is best to quit while you're behind. And they are definitely behind the eight-ball on two proposed constitutional amendments. The first would change the make up and appointive power of the State Board of Elections (and potentially other boards and commissions), while the second would remove the powers of the Governor to appoint judges to vacant positions.

All five former governors of our state have publicly said these two proposals are bad ideas. They were joined on Thursday by all six former Chief Justices of the NC Supreme Court, who added they wouldn't vote for them. I'm no expert on math but it is entirely possible that 5 plus 6 could equal a big fat zero come November 6th.

Instead of Friday's special session to rewrite the wording of these two bad ideas our legislature would be well advised to use the ruling by the three judge federal panel to drop back and punt. They could easily explain to voters that they need to spend more time deliberating these two matters and will do so when they come back into session in 2019....taking a minor loss instead of one that might not just be humiliating but also bring to an end their reign.

Democrats only need a handful of flipped seats in order to overturn the veto-proof majority in the House and, while it is hard to imagine that the GOP could lose total control of the House, stranger things have happened. To wit, the election of 2010. Remember the voters were weary of Democratic control they felt was unresponsive and out of touch and, in Democratically drawn gerrymandered districts, threw them out of power.

If Republican legislators keep trying to push a rope regarding the separation of powers they are handing the Democrats on a platter an issue that might spell their leadership demise. Are there no Republican consultants spelling out the possible downsides of pursuing their current tactic?

There will be a special session and perhaps we might even see new language regarding the two proposed amendments, but we can already see the TV commercials this fall:

"All five former Governors and all six former Chief Justices of the Supreme Court say our runaway legislature has gone power crazy and is trying to strip power from everyone but themselves.  Tell our legislators they have gone too far. Vote No on the Constitutional Amendments on November 6th."

Since the legislature decided not to number the amendments it will be easier to just tell voters to oppose all of them.

This fall is gonna be fun and you can count on NC SPIN to bring you all the interesting debate.