There more shocking proof yesterday that the General Assembly recognizes no limits on its power or authority. The subject was annexation, but forget that. If you believe in and cherish representative democracy, you should be outraged. Let’s walk thru what happened.
Last week the House Select Committee on Municipal Annexation spit out language for a bill, ostensibly to reform annexation powers in the state. Trouble was the bill did not reflect what the committee itself had voted on and approved. This was pointed out, to no avail. What was approved yesterday left out a previously adopted moratorium on satellite annexations.
More importantly, the entire exercise will have the effect of doing absolutely nothing to change North Carolina’s annexation laws. This is not what committee members said — and backed up with votes — they were going to do. The entire committee hearing process was nothing but a charade, obviously entered into with the hopes of papering over the issue in an election year.
Mission accomplished.
