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Wed.: Devil's in the details
posted at 2009-05-20 22:38 | Last modified 2009-05-21 01:03
HYA: CYA?
H88, the comprehensive sex ed bill euphemistically titled the "Healthy Youth Act," was temporarily derailed today when its Senate handler and co-sponsor Malcolm Graham (D-Meck) failed to show up for the Senate Mental Health Committee.
An absent handler may be the least of this bill’s worries. The bill’s backers say Senate Dems want to move the bill back toward its initial form, changing the parental choice default to “comprehensive” and removing the “no sex ed” option entirely.
Not that that’s bad news per se for proponents of comprehensive sex ed, but here’s the rub: the “moderating” provisions were thrown in because House backers recognized it was the only way to get the thing through their chamber. If it comes back the way the Senate wants it, the concurrence vote would be, well, challenging. It’s likely to end up in committee.
One more wrench: rumor has it there are plans to introduce a catfish amendment on the Senate floor that would leave the choice up to local school districts. The whole point of the bill is to offer political cover for school boards facing small but vocal conservative minorities. Advocates are concerned the catfish amendment might just pass. More to come on this one, for sure.
And speaking of sex ed...
The House Sergeant-at-Arms' report on the Cary Allred incident came out today. In case you missed it, Allred was accused of inappropriate contact with a House page (a family friend), smelling like booze, and having avoided a speeding ticket on his way to session a couple of weeks ago. After some uncomfortable publicity for the State Highway Patrol, the ticket eventually came home to roost. The page incident, however, may not, since neither the page nor her family seem to have a problem with Allred’s behavior.
That’s more than can be said for many of Allred’s fellow lawmakers. Reports by several of them were part of the report released today. Mitch Setzer (R-Catawba) described Allred’s contact with the page as a “gruesome bear hug” that was not just “disturbing” and “distasteful,” but "the most unsettling thing" he’s seen in his eleven years in the House. He says he hopes “I never have to suffer through anything similar to this again.”
Reactions from other House members were, if less Victorian, no less quotable. John Blust timed the embrace at “approximately 15 seconds.” Ray Warren noted that the page “appear[ed] to be uncomfortable.” Bryan Holloway called the hug “stupid,” adding “[Allred’s] actions toward the Speaker were inappropriate, but that is Cary.”
But the report’s best quotes came from Allred himself. From his statement:
"I was not drinking alcohol. Before I left home, while I was cleaning up, I had a chelada (tomato juice, clam juice, salt, lime, and beer)."
And according to Thom Tillis (R-Meck), Allred was truculent when Republican caucus leader Paul Stam took him aside to settle him down that night:
“I’m 62 years old and I’m worth two million dollars. People ought to show me respect.”
The Sgt.-at-Arms’ report released today contains no recommendations. Hackney spokesman Bill Holmes said the Speaker delivered it to Legislative Ethics Commission co-chair Rick Glazier without comment or direction. It’s up to Glazier and the LEC to decide what if any punishment Allred should receive. Options range from none through private and public reprimand, censure, or expulsion.
If you want to read the whole report, Greensboro’s Mark Binker has it online.
Mayday
Cameron McRae became the second Easley Air pilot to resign his public appointment today. The Kinston “Bojangles” franchiser stepped down from the Board of Transportation, one of two appointments Easley gave him. The other is the Global Transpark Authority, whose website still lists him on the board with Gov. Perdue, Treasurer Janet Cowell, et al.
The N&O’s Andy Curliss reports McRae had already planned to resign, but his connection to the Easley grand jury probe may have accelerated his departure. More here.
Tomorrow, the grand jury will hear testimony from NCSU Chancellor James Oblinger and former Provost Larry Nielsen on the hiring and promotion of former First Lady Mary Easley. WRAL’s Cullen Browder points out questions about who paid Mary Easley’s salary. As part of her job, she raised about 200K from foundations and corporations. Some, like Blue Cross Blue Shield and Progress Energy, had issues pending before the state. Both companies have said their donations did not pay Easley’s salary. But Bob Hall with Democracy NC says it may be a moot point:
“There’s a problem of the sensitivity to how these things look to the public -- to have people who are being asked for money who are then turning around and asking for favors from your husband. That’s just a very clear example of a situation you don’t want to get yourself in.”
Investigators also want to know how much another Easley pilot, McQueen Campbell, had to do with the hiring – especially given that he had Gov. Easley to thank for his appointment to the school’s Board of Trustees.
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