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Wed. late: They're BAA-aaack...
posted at 2009-01-29 01:00 | Last modified 2009-01-29 01:39
It was the first day of school today on Jones St. New spouses were paraded, new haircuts were complimented, new rules were derided, and new members were alternately congratulated and trapped on elevators. There were severe chair shortages. An average opening day all round.
I had a set-up story on the new session this morning. If you missed it, it’s here.
Meet the new boss…
Pro tem Marc Basnight won an unprecedented ninth term at the helm of the Senate. Yes, that’s 17 years running the place. But he wasn’t interested in basking in it. When I interviewed him after session, all he wanted to talk about was the importance of not trying to patch the budget hole through cuts alone:
He also voiced some ideas about college tuition that are probably giving Erskine Bowles fits tonight. Hear those here.
Listen Now!
Over on the House side, Joe Hackney was simultaneously praised and buried en route to his second term as Speaker. Former seatmate Verla Insko left no stone unturned in an epic nominating speech so fabulous it probably could’ve gotten me elected. But Republican David Lewis countered by nominating Min. Leader Paul Stam in a speech rife with allusions to the scandals Hackney’s been laboring for two years to dispel.
Hackney won on a party-line vote, as did pro tem William Wainwright, but the Republicans weren’t easily dissuaded. A motion to adopt temporary rules identical to last year’s earned a solid 20 minutes of complaints from the GOP. Hackney’s patience is legendary, but today’s session was apparently enough to try it.
Reporter: Do you see any validity to the complaints about the rules -- do you feel like it’s favoring the majority party?
Hackney: I think it’s just noise.
It looks mild, but for the oh-so-diplomatic Hackney, that’s a pretty strong statement. (Then again, maybe he was just tired of talking to the press.)
Hackney also seemed to be backing off his earlier opposition to a sin tax hike. Last week, he was pretty clear about not wanting to raise any taxes. Today, he would only say that "it’s too early" to go there. See what you think: his whole interview’s below.
Listen Now!
By the way, props to the Speaker for a strong, well-delivered acceptance speech. If you missed it, here’s the text.
Spotted:
Haywood Sen. Joe Sam Queen shaking a tail feather to the music of the Haw River Reelers, who serenaded the 1100 court with old-time bluegrass today. Queen says he brought them in to cheer folks up. “This is a sort of glum time. The economy’s down. But this music comes from hard times, and it’s a reminder that things will get better.”
Mecklenberg Rep Tricia Cotham’s high-tech lighted punch fountain. Hospitality tables abounded today, but hers was the hands-down winner. Come to think of it, Gov. Perdue had an LED punch fountain at her Secretaries’ reception, too. Think she started something?
Gorgeous red roses on the desks of the ladies of the House GOP, courtesy of the Republican Women’s Coalition. Very nice! (But isn’t there a rule about leaving goodies on desks?)
Fay-O’s Paul Woolverton back at his Press Corps cubbyhole after a four-year hiatus, Facebooking his unhappiness that the Legislative Cafeteria stuck to its 2pm closing time despite the fact that hundreds of hungry people would be looking for lunch at, say, about 2:30. Welcome back, Paul. Some things never change.
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