voter id

Early voting started in North Carolina this past week and my wife and I wanted to take advantage of it. I am glad we did.

From what I understand from the BOE workers, local BOE databases were swapped over to a single state-wide database in Raleigh this past spring. That kind of database merger sweeps in all the problems you can possibly imagine. I was listed as inactive, even though they have me voting every two years since, like, forever. And my wife's data was also wonky - they still had her maiden name, we have been married for 13 years. The main problem stemmed, I think, from the 'geoloc' database. Our residence is on Brookstone Court - least that is what the street sign says. Nothing could be changed with our registration until we figured out Raleigh thought we lived on Brookstone DRIVE. Just that basic error locked up everything.

With people like Taylor, Hayes, Burr and Dole dividing our nation to feather their own nests, it's reassuring to see this kind of news about the hard work of Congressman Mel Watt.

Almost a year of behind-the-scenes work by Rep. Mel Watt came to fruition Tuesday when House and Senate leaders from both parties endorsed a bill -- co-authored by the Charlotte Democrat -- that would strengthen and extend for 25 years the Voting Rights Act. That 1965 landmark legislation, passed amid the civil rights struggles and then renewed in 1982, outlawed efforts, especially in the South, to deny African Americans the right to vote.

I've posted several times now on Sue Myrick's grandstanding scheme to bully North Carolina, and pending further developments I should just let it go. But events conspire! Three NC State legislators and a high level staffer spoke to one of my classes today, and I got a chance to ask them about the situation.

Deborah Ross and Grier Martin, both Democratic members of the NC House representing parts of Wake County, sat on a panel with Republican Senator Richard Stevens (representing Cary) and Norma Mills, Chief of Staff for NC Senate President Pro Temp. Marc Basnight (D, Dare County). I asked them for their thoughts about the proposed legislation announced by Myrick, Foxx, Taylor, McHenry, and Jones that threatens to strip NC's federal highway dollars if the state doesn't change its driver's license policy. Nobody had good things to say.

Johnny one-note here, back with more on 5 NC US House Representatives' plan to take over the role of the NC legislature and set diver's license policy for North Carolina. It turns out that in their mad rush to replace the NC State government Reps. Myrick and McHenry have been lying to the press. Links below:

The Charlotte Observer has the scoop:

Reps. Sue Myrick and Patrick McHenry made a few alarming statements last week during their news conference to promote legislation to fight illegal immigration in North Carolina.

Remember that naked power grab by NC's Republican US House members I warned you about? You know, the one where they circumvent the democratic process because they don't like the decisions we North Carolinians came up with on our own?

Five of North Carolina's seven Republican members of Congress want to cut off federal highway money to their state unless it makes it more difficult for illegal immigrants to get drivers licenses.

Four NC Representatives—Myrick (NC-9), Jones (NC-3), Foxx (NC-5), and McHenry (NC-10), Republicans all—are having a press conference tomorrow to announce new legislation that they should be ashamed of. Myrick's new bill would withhold federal transportation funds from North Carolina if the state doesn't strengthen it's diver's license requirements.

Just to be clear, that's four of North Carolina's representatives to the US House bullying North Carolina in an effort to shape state policy. I'd really love to hear them explain that to a 10th grade Civics class.

Real Values is right to wonder: "Just for clarification purposes, aren't Republicans supposed to believe in federalism? Isn't it supposed to be conservative to trust states and localities to make decisions?" The people who elected Myrick, Jones, Foxx, and McHenry sent them to Washington to stand up for North Carolina values in the national and international spheres. That same electorate chose state senators and representatives, the Council of State, and our Governor to craft and enforce state policy. Now Myrick & Co. want to try their hands at running North Carolina?