For the week of
June 29, 2012
- carolinajournal.com
Reaction of the Week
RALEIGH — In recent months, liberal advocacy
groups have conducted a concerted attack against the American
Legislative Exchange Council, the Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan
public-policy group created in 1973 that promotes federalism, free
markets, and limited government, reports Carolina Journal.
The challenge, led by Common Cause, claims that ALEC has abused its
501(c)3 tax-exempt status under the IRS code by engaging illegally in
“taxpayer-subsidized lobbying” for hundreds of bills in state
legislatures across the country.
Common Cause filed a whistleblower complaint in April with the IRS. A
month later, Common Cause sent a letter to North Carolina Attorney
General Roy Cooper, asking the state to investigate ALEC’s tax status.
Common Cause also has used social media to encourage Facebook and
Twitter followers to lobby corporate sponsors of ALEC to end their
support.
Common Cause and its left-wing allies have relied heavily on an analysis prepared by the Ralph Nader-founded Center for Media and Democracy accusing ALEC
of relying almost entirely on corporate money and conservative
foundations for its financial support — skewing its agenda to favor the
interests of its donors — and being dominated by partisan Republican
lawmakers. If ALEC is in actuality an organization that supports
Republican candidates and Republican ideas, critics say, it should not
get favorable tax treatment from the federal government.
News Features
CJ: Perdue will veto budget
RALEIGH — Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue on Friday
said she planned to veto the budget adjustments passed by the
GOP-dominated General Assembly. “The budget doesn’t do enough to invest in our
children’s future,” Perdue said during a morning press conference
announcing her plans to veto the bill. CJ: Bill altering competition among health insurers faces NCGA deadline
RALEIGH — As the 2012 short session of the General Assembly approaches adjournment, smaller health insurance companies are still fighting for a bill that they hope would make the industry more competitive in the state. CJ: Tensions fester between hunters and landowners over dogs
RALEIGH — A battle simmering between landowners
and deer hunters who use dogs shows no signs of easing. Landowners
believe that deer-dog hunters are infringing on their property rights
because they have little recourse if hunters let dogs run loose on their
land. CJ: Wake decision puts bus/rail plan in limbo
RALEIGH — Wake County’s decision not to put a
half-cent sales tax referendum on the Nov. 6 general election ballot “is
troubling” to Durham County officials, and will affect how they move
forward with a tri-county regional transit plan featuring a mixture of
light rail and expanded bus service. NC DOT letters inquiry heading to ethics panel
RALEIGH — Senate Republicans agreed
Thursday to send the contents of its two-week investigation over edited
letters to lawmakers attributed to a high-ranking state Department of
Transportation official to the State Ethics Commission for further
scrutiny.
Upcoming Events
Monday, July 09, 2012 at 12:00 pm Noon
A meeting of the Shaftesbury Society
with our special guest Kevin Duffus
Blackbeard and His Carolina Pirates: Bloodthirsty Rogues or Hapless Marionettes?
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Capital Quotes
“As long as I am governor, I will fight to make sure the death penalty stays on the books in North Carolina. But it has to be carried out fairly — free of prejudice.”
— Gov. Bev Perdue, as quoted by the Associated Press, in a statement announcing that she was vetoing revisions to the Racial Justice Act. “While Gov. Perdue may claim to support the death penalty, her veto proves she’s in lock-step with the leftist elements of her party who want to abolish it.”
— Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, and House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, as quoted by the Associated Press in the same story, stating in a press release that they would seek to override Perdue’s veto of changes to the Racial Justice Act. “This year was definitely not a year conservative politics were championed.”
— Rep. Mark Hilton, R-Catawba, talking to the Raleigh News &Observer about this year’s session of the General Assembly. “Why shouldn’t they do what everybody else does?”
— John Bussian, a First Amendment lawyer who represents the North Carolina Press Association, commenting to the Raleigh News & Observer on a bill that limits public information on companies that don’t provide worker’s compensation insurance to their employees.
On The Air This Week…
This week on C J Radio…
Jeanette Doran of the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law discusses the impact on N.C. of the Supreme Court ruling that struck down Arizona's rescue fund program; legislators hear from the public on the state budget plan; legislators discuss payments for victims of N.C.’s eugenics program; Marc Levin of Right on Crime explains the push to change juvenile justice law; and Jenna Ashley Robinson of the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy recommends reforms to the federal Pell Grant program.
This week on NC Spin…
Join moderator Tom Campbell
for
for another week of political discussion and debate on the most
intelligent television talk show in the state. Topics this week: The budget; grading the Short Session; and more Medicaid mess. This week’s panelists: John Hood and Becki Gray from the John Locke Foundation; Chris Fitzsimon of NC Policy Watch; and former House Speaker Joe Mavretic.
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