Two Years, Not Much Compromise

Friday, July 13, 2012

Raleigh

Maybe the results were predictable, but they certainly don't resemble the rhetoric from a couple of years ago.

You remember the rhetoric, don't you?

Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue spoke of working cooperatively with the new Republican majority that controlled the General Assembly. GOP leaders at the legislature acknowledged that there would be differences, but predicted plenty of areas in which the two sides could and would work together.

As the historic two-year legislative session came to a close, it was obvious that didn't happen very often.

Perdue vetoed 19 bills. A majority of those vetoes were overridden, as House leaders found a handful of conservative Democrats who would join with Republicans to reach the 60 percent supermajority required to thwart the governor's will.

Senate Leader Phil Berger recently cited two key instances in 2011 when any hopes of a good working relationship with Perdue were undermined.

The first, he said, came during negotiations regarding a fix to the health insurance plan for state employees.

Legislators passed a bill that, for the first time, would impose a premium on state workers. Perdue vetoed it

The veto shouldn't have come as such a surprise, as the legislation passed on party-line votes.

Legislative leaders, though, complained that Perdue would not lay out any particulars of what she would or wouldn't accept. They also pointed out that their proposal was not so different from the same provisions that the governor had included in her proposed budget.

The second episode cited by Berger was last year's budget negotiations.

Five House Democrats who had voted with Republicans on that chamber's state budget plan were also working with Perdue to determine what she would deem acceptable to ameliorate proposed budget cuts. With a list from Perdue, those five gained concessions from legislative Republicans only to see the governor make more demands.

The result: Perdue vetoed the budget bill; the five voted to override the veto.

Perdue had overplayed her hand. In the view of legislative leaders, she had chosen politics over governance.

Berger conveniently leaves out another key episode that colored the relationship between governor and legislature.

Any governor, in any state and in any time, would see as a naked, bare-knuckled power play the legislature's move in April 2011 to tie an extension of unemployment benefits to an unrelated provision that would have essentially stripped the governor of her constitutional authority to veto a budget bill.

Perdue ultimately vetoed that bill too, but 37,000 unemployed workers saw their benefits delayed because of the standoff between executive and legislative branches.

Besides the effect on workers, the move helped poison the relationship.

Of course, plenty of GOP legislators probably don't see themselves as elected to work with a Democratic governor. And Perdue and her political allies seemed to increasingly view the veto as the primary answer to a GOP-controlled legislature.

The end result was one in which governor and legislature tried to tack around each other, rather than steer a compromise course.

Scott Mooneyham writes for Capitol Press Association in Raleigh. Contact him at smooneyh@ncinsider.com.

More like this story

The_AnonymusProfit 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Our GOP assembly has done more positive in the last 2 years then the Dems have in 100. It takes a long time to get rid of 100 years of crap.

Bentpan 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Here Gov. Perdue holds the crown as the most reviled governor of all 50 states, so who do Democrats want to take her place now that she has made the prudent decision not to run, who else but her Lt. who was right there for the whole fiasco. And you thought Becky Carney was the only genius of the Democrat party ;-)

Newton 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Thank Heaven for he following:

Bev Perdue deciding against a second term;
A conservative, responsible and non-corrupt GOP majority in the legislature;
An incoming GOP governor who has proven and successful executive experience in the form if Pat McCrory;
A state budget that is finally under control;
Fracking. Taking a look at the election of Bev Perdue, she really did the GOP in this state a favor. She was an empty suit that everyone knew was not up to the job. GOOD RIDDANCE.

jonathan_poverud 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Newton- Two high ranking aides for the Speaker resigning for inappropriate relationship with lobbyists is a non-corrupt legislature? Not telling members about late night votes? I'll take American values over those "Conservative" values.

Newton 10 months, 2 weeks ago

JP,

Given the large rogues gallery of convicted Democrat governors and legislators, the GOP isn't too bad on a comparative basis.

See links below on this cast of characters or have you forgotten so quickly???

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/04/19/444523/plea-deal-reached-for-ruffin-poole.html

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20100107/ARTICLES/100109828

http://www.newsobserver.com/2009/12/03/223085/tony-rand-accused-of-insider-trading.html

Your reference to the Thomas/Hayes affair, Thomas had the grace to resign although state ethic laws do not address having a romantic relationship and sharing an apartment as a violation. Thomas has already released 130 emails between Thomas and Hayes showing no influence whatsoever.

Your other reference to the Hobbs/Plunkett romantic relationship with Hobbs resigning in May was also not covered under state ethics laws.

What I can say at least is that Thomas took quick action upon learning of the relationships and took decisive and appropriate action which would not have taken place with the Dems.

So far, no indictments or convictions on either so spare me the vitriole.

Finally, I'm assume you're referring to the 11:00PM vote by the NC Legislature to approve fracking in NC. If the Democrats can't get their people on the floor for an important vote, it's not the GOP's problem. Crocidile tears as you probably didn't like the outcome of the vote.