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Tuesday: Late late show
posted at 2007-05-23 01:51 | Last modified 2007-11-14 10:38
After spending this evening working on my Wed. morning story on the marriage amendment debate, I'm turning to my esteemed press corps colleagues for the rest of what went on today.
First, though, an update on the marriage amendment. House Speaker Joe Hackney sent the bill to J1, where it's generally guaranteed not to see the light of day again - especially not before Thursday night's crossover deadline.
House Republican leader Paul Stam was disappointed but generally philosophical, an attitude that helps a lot when you're Minority Leader. Some of his caucus members were less sanguine about it, proposing a "scorched-earth" crossover - that is, objecting wherever possible to slow down the process and kill as many Dem bills as possible.
Stam didn't completely rule out recriminations, but he did say he's not generally inclined to kill good bills along with bad out of spite. It's worth noting that Stam has one very large dog left in this fight - his proposal for an Eminent Domain amendment, which cleared J2 committee today and should be up for a floor vote Wed. No wonder he's playing the diplomat.
Wright responds
Earlier today, I posted Gov. Easley's comments on the political future of New Hanover Dem Thomas Wright. The AP reports Wright didn't appreciate the Gov's advice, especially given Easley's recent reticence to weigh in on the scandal surrounding his ally, Jim Black. To wit:
"I think it's pretty inconsistent for him to call for my resignation when he hasn't called for anybody else's," Wright said Tuesday. "And, as a former prosecutor from down in my neck of the woods, he's passing judgment on me before the process works? That's grossly unfair."
The rest of the story is here.
Hang up and drive
Or at least put the handset down. Senate J2 today approved Mecklenburg Dem Charlie Dannelly's proposal to ban hand-held cell phones while driving. Hands-free phones would be permitted - no surprise, given Dannelly's fondness for his own Bluetooth ear-bug. I wasn't at the committee, but Greensboro's Mark Binker got the whole story.
Moore heads home
N&O Blogmeister Ryan Teague Beckwith went offline today for a field trip to Oxford, where State Treasurer Richard Moore tossed his trilby into the ring for the 2008 gubernatorial race. Beckwith says Moore pledged to bring his "fix-it" attitude to Jones St. -- and nothing signals a "fresh approach" like barbecue and bluegrass, right? The rest is here.
Wednesday forecast
Similar to Tuesday, with NASCAR in the afternoon, then worsening toward evening with a strong chance of a Constitutional amendment, a torture ban, and more ethics changes. I'll post the highlights here as I can - stay tuned.
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