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At 3 a.m., NC Senate GOP strips education funding from Democrats’ districts

F

faisal233

Member
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article150397682.html
N.C. Senate Republicans were visibly upset with Democrats for prolonging the budget debate with amendments during an after-midnight session Friday morning.

As the clock approached 1 a.m., Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue was summoned to the front of the chamber to talk privately with Senate leader Phil Berger. The Senate had rejected five amendments from Democrats to fund their spending priorities, but each time one proposal was shot down, another one was filed.

Senate Rules Chairman Bill Rabon abruptly called for a recess, stopping the proceedings for nearly two hours. GOP leaders headed to a conference room with legislative budget staff, while Democrats – some surprised by the lengthy delay – passed the time with an impromptu dance party in the hall.

The session finally resumed around 3 a.m., and Republican Sen. Brent Jackson introduced a new budget amendment that he explained would fund more pilot programs combating the opioid epidemic. He cited “a great deal of discussion” about the need for more opioid treatment funding.

Jackson didn’t mention where the additional $1 million would come from: Directly from education programs in Senate Democrats’ districts and other initiatives the minority party sought.

Sen. Erica Smith-Ingram’s rural district in northeastern North Carolina took the biggest hit from the amendment. It strips $316,646 from two early college high schools in Northampton and Washington counties, and it specifically bans state funding from supporting a summer science, math and technology program called Eastern North Carolina STEM.
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I have no words...
 
I

Ihyll

Junior Member
At what point does the GOP stop being classified as political party and begins to get classified as a large criminal organization?
 
S

Slayven

Member
Reach across the aisle folk they say


You can't reason with a suicide bomber

They don't care if they die as long as the other die first
 
D

Dryk

Member
Ihyll said:
At what point does the GOP stop being classified as political party and begins to get classified as a large criminal organization?
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That's a nice district you have there. Be a shame if something were to happen to it.
 
R

RustyNails

Member
Escape Goat said:
I don't get it. Why would Democrats stop filing amendments if this poison pill was included?
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The budget was a pile of poop.

Democrats introduced amendments to make it less of a pile of poop.

Repubs go in recess, add an amendment to cut the school funding and make it a pile of poop again.

I dont think the budget is complete yet.
 
T

TheGreatDirector

Banned
The funding level for the program didn’t change, but seven counties represented by Smith-Ingram and fellow Democratic Sen. Angela Bryant were removed. Instead, the program will only apply to several counties represented by Republican senators.
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Can this be challenged in court?
 
I

iammeiam

Member
it specifically bans state funding from supporting a summer science, math and technology program called Eastern North Carolina STEM.
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Jesus fucking christ.

I can't even come up with words for this. That much power to govern and they basically decide to turn the state legislature into some high school mean girl clique wannabe.
 
Z

Zubz

Banned
These guys are despicable. I hope everything and anything goes wrong for them politically going forward.
 
L

Lord Frieza

Member
I hope their piece of shit Governor losing last year is a sign that people are getting tired of their bullshit, and some of these people can be voted out.
 
B

btrboyev

Member
Anyone wanna tell me why the government officials, state or federal can pull these votes at any time of the day? Shouldn't they have business hours? A lot do the fuckery might stop by shit like this wouldn't happen. Force votes by end of business day.
 
L

Loxley

Member
What in the living fuck is going on with North Carolina's government? It seems like the GOP there are a particular brand of evil.
 
I

iammeiam

Member
I would like to see some kind of rule in place that bars fucking voting on things that haven't existed long enough for the people voting on them to understand what's in them:
The amendment also takes a swipe at Gov. Roy Cooper by eliminating a position in his office for a federal legislative programs coordinator.

Jackson, the amendment sponsor, could not be reached for comment.

Two Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the amendment, but Smith-Ingram said they didn’t know about the cuts because the vote was taken about a minute after the proposal was released. Sen. Don Davis, a Greene County Democrat, tried to ask a question but wasn’t recognized to speak.

“Nobody knew what they were voting on, it happened so quickly,” Smith-Ingram said.
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It continues to amaze me how much of American government is based on the assumption that the voters won't put cartoon super villains in office, and that we made it as long as we have.
 
R

RomanticHeroX

Member
I've considered moving to NC a number of times. I had a really great offer to pursue a PhD at Chapel Hill. But as long as these assholes remain in power there's nothing in the world that will convince me it's worth it to live there.
 
P

PhoncipleBone

Banned
RomanticHeroX said:
I've considered moving to NC a number of times. I had a really great offer to pursue a PhD at Chapel Hill. But as long as these assholes remain in power there's nothing in the world that will convince me it's worth it to live there.
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Yet, if you live there, you can help to vote them out of power.
 
I

iammeiam

Member
ahoyhoy said:
I don't get it. If they can just force any budget they want why are they even negotiating?
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They weren't negotiating. Democrats kept proposing amendments which the Republicans kept shooting down. Eventually the Republicans got pissed off, put everybody on hold for a while, then came back, forced their own amendment with surprise/unstated fucking over of Democrat's constituents through, then held the final budget vote.

It was happening that late at night because apparently they have to vote twice to pass the budget, and the two votes can't happen on the same day:

Senators held an initial 34-15 vote Thursday evening, then returned at 12:05 a.m. Friday to take a final vote, because the chamber’s rules require that the two mandatory votes to pass the bill can’t be taken on the same day.
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They weren't hearing Democrat amendments to negotiate, but because Democrats kept bringing them up:

As Democrats continued to file amendments, Republicans apparently grew frustrated and called for a break until 2:30 a.m. Some senators took naps, while others held an impromptu dance party in the halls of the Legislative Building.

After the break, Sen. Brent Jackson successfully proposed an amendment that funded additional pilot programs to treat opioid addiction, while removing funding for a number of small projects.

“We’ve heard a lot of discussion here tonight on the opioid abuse and how it is truly a national and state ... emergency,” said Jackson, a Sampson County Republican. “We figured we would try to assist in that effort. Based on a great deal of discussion, I think this is something we can all agree on.”

Jackson didn’t mention that the amendment also took funding from several school programs in counties represented by Democrats, as well as eliminating a position in the governor’s office.

Jackson’s amended passed 34-13 and the Senate then took its final budget vote shortly after 3 a.m. Friday.
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Also gonna go ahead and be SUPER SHOCKED at this piece:
Senate Republicans’ proposal includes the tax-cut plan that the Senate approved last month, which would reduce the personal income tax rate from 5.499 percent to 5.35 percent while increasing the standard deduction, the base amount of income that isn’t taxed unless a taxpayer chooses itemized deductions. The corporate income tax rate would drop from 3 percent to 2.75 percent in 2018 and to 2.5 percent in 2019.
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Link

Link

The Autumn Wind
faisal233 said:
I have no words...
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I do: Fuck Republicans.

Loxley said:
What in the living fuck is going on with North Carolina's government? It seems like the GOP there are a particular brand of evil.
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They have supermajorities in both houses there. This is just the GOP unbridled. Don't be mistaken; this is how Republicans would behave anywhere they don't have Democrats to stop them.
 
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