“Sen. R.C. Soles may be leaving the legislature, but he’s not going
quietly,” reports WWAY-TV in Wilmington. Now, that’s an understatement. The General Assembly’s longest-serving lawmaker, who also chairs the Democratic Caucus, has introduced a bill in this, his final session, that would reduce the number of years local district attorneys and some court workers would need to serve before qualifying for a pension at age 62. Those workers now have to log 24 years of service to get early retirement; Soles’ bill (S. 1341) would reduce that requirement to 20 years.
Turns out that Soles’ longtime associate Rex Gore, the 13th District DA who lost his party’s primary for re-election May 4, would qualify for a pension if the bill becomes law. WWAY notes that Gore will leave office just shy of the 24-year threshold. But he’ll cash in at taxpayer expense if the General Assembly passes the bill and Gov. Bev Perdue signs it. How much expense? We’ll have to wait for the fiscal note.
How convenient. And what a nice present for the embattled senator to give to his old pal. And it wouldn’t cost Soles a thing.
