Name:   architect - Subject:   There is political hardball and... Date:   9/11/2019 11:15:51 PM

there is political thuggery.

NC governor Roy Cooper vetoed the budget passed by the Republican controlled legislature and it has been a top political issue for weeks with the GOP refusing to compromise or reconsider the cuts to education and tax givaways to corporations that were part of the budget.  The House has threatened on several occasions to override the veto but were thawarted by the Democrats who have the strength to deny the 60% vote required.  Yesterday the speaker and Chair of the committee that sets the agenda announced that there would be no votes today.  Most Democrtas were absent (many attending a 9-11 memorial with Gov Cooper), but the fix was in and the Republicans knew it.  At 8:30 am without warning the speaker called for a vote to override the veto.  With only 62 0f the 120 members present (only 2 more than the required for a quorum, the house voted 53 Republicans to 9 Democrats to override the veto!!  There is political hardball and political thuggery...this is a fine example of the latter.

But, for Democrats all is not lost...the Senate still has to vote and the state courts have tossed out the districting for US house and state legislative districts due to partisan gerrymandering (in 2018, 52% of the votes for the House candidates were for the Democrat but only 3 of the 13 seats went to Democrats)  and ordered new un-gerrymandered maps be submitted before next years election.  In 2020 the GOP is likely to pay a high price for their 2019 skulduggery!