WS Chronicle

People who work in North Carolina have no doubt been confronted with occasions when special meetings have been called to get work done. The veto-proof GOP N.C. General Assembly is doing it, too, but is using taxpayer money to make up for its inability to be correctly vindictive during its first pass in messing with the N.C. Constitution.

Taxpayer money is now being used as the state legislators reconvene to override a veto Friday by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper of a bill that fixes the wording of proposed constitutional amendments on the November ballot, the wording of which had already been approved by the General Assembly.

So, they just can’t get their vindictiveness straight and they are going to make taxpayers pay for it?

The Associated Press says Republican legislators acted last week to alter North Carolina ballot language this fall for constitutional referenda and a Supreme Court race. Democrats have criticized GOP lawmakers for interfering in the court race and taking away from a state panel the job of putting titles on six proposed constitutional amendments.

AP says one measure would prevent a Supreme Court candidate who recently switched his Democratic affiliation to Republican from having any party label next to his name. Republicans say the candidate wants to split the GOP vote with incumbent Barbara Jackson and help the Democrat challenger win.

Oh, what a tangled web those GOP lawmakers in the N.C. General Assembly weave. Now they are using the voters to get back at legitimate candidates who might thwart the power and control they have in the state.

Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) announced Monday that the North Carolina Senate will hold a session on Saturday, Aug. 4, at 11 a.m. to take up overrides of Cooper’s vetoes of Senate Bill 3 and House Bill 3.

“Despite the governor’s claims to the contrary, these two bills are essential to preventing voter confusion,” Berger said in a press release. “That is why we plan to convene on Saturday at 11 a.m. to override his vetoes and give the Constitutional Amendments Publication Commission a clear non-partisan responsibility to provide North Carolina voters clear, accurate information this fall.”

Why didn’t the legislators take care of this during its first pass of wording for the amendments? Because the lawmaker who filed for the judicial seat did so after the wording had been approved the first time.

This vindictive obsession is getting complicated and is costing taxpayers money and who knows what else. We must vote against these amendments in November to show the N.C. General Assembly who has power, too.