Insider for August 21, 2024

Posted on by NC Insider

YOU DON’T SAY

“The @NCSBE just begging to get sued again.”

Matt Mercer, the communications director for the NC GOP, on the State Board of Elections approving UNC’s digital student identification to be used as a valid form of voter ID this year. (WRAL News, 8/20/24)

Community Colleges

Hannah Vinueza McClellan, Education NC, 8/19/24

During this year’s short session, the N.C. Community College System (NCCCS) asked lawmakers for two requests: $100 million toward the new Propel NC funding model and $69 million for an enrollment growth adjustment to be distributed across the state’s 58 community colleges.

While budget proposals from both chambers included funding for the enrollment growth increase and the first phase of Propel NC, no compromise budget was passed before lawmakers adjourned the session. That means some colleges are facing large budget deficits for Fiscal Year 2024-25.

“We are advocating daily for the enrollment adjustment increase and our colleges’ need of $69 million,” Alexander Fagg, the system’s director of government relations, told the State Board of Community Colleges last Thursday. “We continue to advocate for and educate about Propel NC, but right now the big star is our enrollment adjustment increase that our colleges vitally need.”

When the General Assembly adjourned in June, it released a resolution outlining future meeting dates and what could be discussed during each meeting. According to that resolution, the General Assembly cannot discuss budget adjustments until the session scheduled for Nov. 19-22.

Even if the General Assembly funds the enrollment increase, most colleges make spring budget decisions in mid-November — meaning colleges might not have enough time to make decisions that account for having that enrollment increase.

A document obtained by EdNC shows the current budgeted amount for each college, along with what the amount would be with the enrollment adjustment increase. The document lists a $76.4 million difference in total funding, which includes tuition and registration fees.

“Many of them are millions of dollars short on the budget from where they would be,” said NCCCS President Dr. Jeff Cox. “So they’re having to make some of those hard decisions right now.”

Fagg said not having the enrollment adjustment increase is “unchartered territory” for the system. While the adjustment is not statutorily required, Fagg said it has historically been included in the state’s two-year and adjustment budgets.

Board Chair Tom Looney suggested the system advocate for the enrollment adjustment to be required by state law in the future to avoid a similar situation from happening again.

Cox said, “The deficit is so much more than we’ve ever encountered.” In other years where no adjustment budget was passed, Cox said enrollment across the system either decreased or remained relatively flat. However, last year, he said, enrollment growth “was robust.”

“You can’t adjust with money you don’t have,” said Lisa Estep, chair of the Board’s finance committee. [Source]

 

Digital ID

Kyle Ingram and Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, The News & Observer, 8/20/24

The North Carolina State Board of Elections on Tuesday approved the first-ever digital ID for voting in the 2024 elections. In a 3-2 vote, the board’s Democratic majority voted to allow UNC-Chapel Hill’s digital student identification to be used as a valid form of voter ID this year.

The board has approved over 100 student and public-employee IDs to be used for voting, but this is the first time a digital ID has been approved.

The board’s Republicans objected to the decision, saying it violates the state’s voter ID law. “The physical card is a reasonable security measure,” Republican member Stacy “Four” Eggers said. “… We simply don’t have the statutory authority for a mobile app to take the place of the identification card.”

The state laws mandating voter ID talk about requiring “identification cards” and do not expressly authorize or forbid digital IDs.

A memo sent last year from Karen Brinson Bell, the board’s executive director, states that “an image of a photo ID, either as a photocopy or a photo on a mobile device, is not one of the permitted forms of photo ID when voting in person.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, Brinson Bell said UNC’s digital ID meets all of the state’s requirements for voter ID. “This is not merely a copy or a photocopy,” she said. “These are issued IDs with expiration dates displayed.” The board chair, Democrat Alan Hirsch, said he believed there was enough flexibility within state law to approve the digital card. “I think that’s the way of the world,” he said. “… I think everyone of a certain younger generation than we are lives by that and they don’t carry cards.”

UNC’s physical ID had already been approved for voting by the board. However, the school now allows students to use an app containing a digital version of their student ID which can be used to make payments and access campus buildings. A lawyer for the board said the digital ID works similarly to digital credit cards and airplane tickets that can be accessed via Apple Wallet.

NC GOP Chair Jason Simmons criticized the board’s decision at a campaign event on Tuesday. “We continue to be concerned about what we’re seeing from what is the most partisan Board of Elections in history, to be able to put forward the electronic IDs, that’s concerning,” he said. “We need more safeguards on that, and so we’ll continue to monitor and review and potentially take additional actions on that.”

Matt Mercer, the communications director for the NC GOP, said on X that the board was “begging to get sued again.”

In June, state lawmakers approved a bill to create a digital driver’s license program by next summer, though it specifies that the digital license would only be used as a supplement to a valid physical license. [Source]

 

Third Party

Will Doran, WRAL News, 8/20/24

Cornel West is officially on the ballot in North Carolina for this year’s presidential race, after the State Board of Elections voted unanimously to approve his new Justice For All Party on Tuesday.

The board had previously voted to disallow Justice For All, citing suspicions of widespread fraud in its efforts to gather the required amount of signatures to get on the ballot. But a federal judge later ruled that the board was wrong to deny West’s new party, writing that the board didn’t have proof of enough fraud to doom the party’s efforts to get on the ballot. Rather than appeal that ruling, the board voted Tuesday to end the fight and let Justice For All on the ballot.

The fight over West’s candidacy has, up until Tuesday’s unanimous vote, broken down along partisan lines. A far-left activist, West is expected to siphon votes away from Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris in states where he appears on the ballot.

Republicans want him on the ballot, and the lawsuit against the elections board on West’s behalf was led by two prominent GOP attorneys, WRAL previously reported. The election board’s initial, now-defunct vote to deny his party ballot access also broke down along party lines, with the Democratic majority voting to keep him off the ballot over the objections of the Republican members. And the court ruling in West’s favor came from a Republican judge.

In addition to West, Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump, North Carolina voters will also have the option of voting for presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (We The People Party), Randall Terry (Constitution Party), Chase Oliver (Libertarian Party) and Jill Stein (Green Party). [Source]

DNC Plans

Danielle Battaglia, McClatchy, 8/20/24

Gov. Roy Cooper will give one of the final speeches at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night, before Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage to accept the Democratic nomination for president, according to a source familiar with convention planning. His premier speaking slot will bring national attention both to Cooper and to North Carolina, and shows voters the importance of the battleground state.

“North Carolina is one of those purple states that is always right there,” Cooper said Monday night in an interview with Politico, discussing pulling off a win for Democrats. “I have a 2008 feeling about North Carolina, and we know what that means because that’s the last time North Carolina voted for a Democratic presidential candidate, in Barack Obama,” he said.

The exact order of speeches Thursday night remains uncertain. On Tuesday morning, organizers told reporters during a news conference that they were retooling the convention’s programming for the rest of the week after Monday’s event ran so long that President Joe Biden didn’t take the stage until 11:30 p.m. eastern time.

Monday night’s speeches focused on finding hope in Harris, thanking Biden for his service and highlighting the threat Democrats say President Donald Trump could pose if reelected.

North Carolina is considered a battleground state, even though Obama was the only Democrat to win the state since 1976. It has that distinction because the state’s presidential races have been decided by less than 4% since 2008.

Democrats have made a major push in North Carolina this campaign season by sending its candidates and their surrogates into the state on a near weekly basis to try and capture its 16 electoral votes. Monday night, Cooper told Politico reporter Ryan Lizza that if Harris captures North Carolina, she wins the presidency.

Dan Kanninen, the Harris-Walz campaign’s battleground states director, said they’re anticipating close races in those swing states. “Our campaign was built to win a close race, and we will do that through hard work, reaching the battleground state voters who will decide this election,” Kanninen said in an email. “That includes elevating trusted voices in those states like many of our featured speakers this week.”

On Monday evening, Lizza asked Cooper whether he would consider a position in Harris’ administration if she were to win. Cooper said he plans to continue in public service but does not yet know what that looks like, and added that “everything is on the table.”

Trump plans to return Wednesday, to Asheboro, this time to talk about national security. Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, will visit the state with Trump for the first time since becoming the Republicans’ nominee. [Source]

Class Materials

T. Keung Hui, The News & Observer, 8/20/24

One of North Carolina’s largest school systems has backed off from requiring teachers to get Central Office approval to use material that’s not in the approved curriculum. Citing the state’s Parents’ Bill of Rights law, Johnston County told teachers last week that they would need district-level approval to use any supplemental instructional resources. But following a wave of teacher complaints, the district emailed staff this week to provide “clarification.”

“There is no need for staff members to submit any additional curriculum resources for district-level approval at this time,” Anna Kuykendal, the district’s chief academic officer, said in Monday’s email. “I recognize that this time of year is demanding, with many critical tasks requiring your attention. Our priority is, and always will be, our students.”

The district did not respond to a request for comment from The News & Observer.

The Johnston County fight comes amid a heated debate across the nation about what’s taught in classrooms. Those concerns from conservative groups helped fuel passage of laws such as the Parents’ Bill of Rights.

Johnston County is the state’s seventh-largest school district. It has more than 37,000 students.

Teachers reported back last week to prepare for the start of classes on Aug. 26. They were told about a new form that teachers would need to submit before using any supplemental instructional materials. Supplemental materials are items that teachers think will help improve student learning that aren’t in the district’s approved curriculum. Examples could include websites, videos, articles and books.

The request form required teachers to submit detailed information on the resource. If the principal signed off on the request, it would be submitted for review by the district’s Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum Committee.

The form said the committee would review all requests within 30 days of submission.

Elementary school teachers would have to say on the form if the requested resource references topics mentioned in the district’s Parental Involvement policy. The school board revised the Parental Involvement policy to comply with the Parents’ Bill of Rights law, also called Senate Bill 49. The law bans instruction in the curriculum on sexuality, sexual activity or gender identity in kindergarten through fourth-grade classrooms.

The law also guarantees parents the right to review the supplementary instructional material used in their child’s classroom.

Teachers emailed school board members and administrators to complain about the change. The teacher backlash led the district to send an email Monday to address the “confusion regarding Senate Bill 49 and the submission of curriculum resources to central office.” Kuykendal, the district’s chief academic officer, said the only resources that need central office review are “alternative comprehensive curricula” to replace what’s used in math, language arts, social studies or science classes.

She said all other instructional resources don’t require district-level approval. Lee said the district’s reversal shows what happens when teachers work together. Lee used to be president of the Johnston County chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators. “This is a win for teachers in Johnston County,” Lee said. “Teachers used their voice.” [Source]

PFAS Study

Celeste Gracia, WUNC Radio, 8/20/24

A new study from North Carolina researchers shows some fish in Jordan Lake and the Haw River contain different levels of toxic chemicals known as PFAS. Humans are exposed to PFAS in many different ways, including eating fish.

“We were really hoping that we wouldn’t find any PFAS in these fish, but … all the fish that we tested had unsafe PFAS levels,” said Anna Boatman, the lead study author and a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Researchers are still studying the full impact of PFAS exposure on human health, but available research shows PFAS can cause kidney cancer, birth defects and increased cholesterol.

The study, published in July, sampled almost 50 fish collected between May and August 2020. Fish were taken from three sites along the Haw River and two sites within Jordan Lake. Fish species included sunfish, yellow perch and channel catfish. Researchers focused on testing fish fillets because that’s the part people eat, explained Erin Baker, the study’s co-author and associate professor of chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill.

“The fillets collect a lot of these chemicals,” Baker said. “We know there’s a lot of fishermen out there catching fish from Jordan Lake … and we wanted to know what they were being exposed to if they actually take those fish home and eat them.”

A total of 36 PFAS were detected in the fillets of these fish, with a minimum of 6 PFAS and a maximum of 22 PFAS found in individual samples. “We didn’t find a single fish that was PFAS free. People can get quite a bit of exposure from eating these fish,” said Baker. One type of PFAS called PFOS was found in every fish sample.

“The PFOS concentrations we measured in Jordan Lake fillets were comparable to the advisory triggering levels in the Cape Fear, and levels in the Haw River fillets were more than twice that high,” stated the study.

Jordan Lake and the Haw River provide drinking water for almost a million residents in the Triangle. [Source]

Teacher Vacancies

Rebecca Noel, The Charlotte Observer, 8/20/24

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has fewer vacancies than this time last year, but teacher and bus driver shortages persist. CMS announced at a news conference Tuesday that 663 new teachers are entering the district this year, bringing its total number of employees to just over 17,600.

Even with 97% of teaching roles filled, the district still has 293 openings for educators. School starts next week for CMS and most other districts in North Carolina.

CMS’ greatest need for teachers is in elementary school and the exceptional children, or EC, program for children with disabilities. There are still 56 vacancies for EC instructors as of Tuesday, according to CMS officials.

“We’ve come to grips with the fact that there will be a teacher shortage here and around the country. It’s not going away, and it probably will get worse before it gets better,” CMS Superintendent Crystal Hill said. “So we’ve thought about this and planned well in advance.”

By Aug. 1, every school was required to have a plan for instruction if it didn’t fill all openings for teachers. CMS leadership says there will never be a situation where there isn’t a teacher overseeing a classroom. Instead, schools may combine two classrooms under one master teacher for a portion of the day when there is a vacancy at a school or use live virtual options. CMS is still working to fill bus driver positions as well.

“We have fewer bus driver vacancies than we had this time last year, and we have several bus drivers that are in the pipeline,” said Tim Ivey, CMS chief operating officer. “We have 38 vacancies right now.”

Ivey says he expects the district will fill bus driver vacancies by around Thanksgiving. [Source]

 

Raleigh Amphitheater

Richard Stradling, The News & Observer, 8/20/24

Plans to build a new Red Hat Amphitheater next to the current one downtown took a step forward Tuesday when the Raleigh City Council moved to close a block of South Street. The council approved a resolution saying it intends to close the road between Dawson and McDowell streets and asked staff to remove the block as a public street from the city’s comprehensive plan.

It also agreed to buy a small lot at the corner of South and McDowell from the N.C. Department of Transportation. The lot and that one block of South Street are needed to build a new amphitheater as large as the existing one and within the city’s budget of $40 million, says Kerry Painter, director of the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, which includes the amphitheater.

The new Red Hat is part of a larger plan to expand the convention center, which would take up the site now occupied by the amphitheater.

The City Council will consider actually closing that piece of South Street at its meeting Sept. 17, when it will hold a public hearing on the issue. The hearing is required before the city can close part of a public street. Council members will likely hear from residents of Boylan Heights, the neighborhood just west of downtown, who consider South Street a vital connection to the center of the city.

The Boylan Heights Neighborhood Association passed a resolution last week saying it supports keeping Red Hat downtown but wants the city to fully consider options that would also keep South Street open.

Shrinking the amphitheater to fit between South and Lenoir streets, and keep both open, would risk losing the touring acts that can draw 6,000 to 7,000 people, said Dave Rose, who heads Deep South Entertainment, a Raleigh-based music and concert company.

“To attract these tours, we must be competitive in both size and quality of our venue,” Rose told council members. “The current plan ensures that’s the case.”

Council member Jane Harrison, whose district includes Boylan Heights and Red Hat Amphitheater, said everyone seems to agree that the amphitheater is good for downtown. But Harrison added that closing South Street is “not desirable.” If it is inevitable, she wants the city to hold one more session to explain to residents why it’s necessary.

Council member Stormie Forte noted there isn’t much time before the September vote, and said the city could have done a better job reaching out to these residents earlier. “You’ve got a lot of folks who are very frustrated because they didn’t get an opportunity to weigh in,” Forte said. “This turned out to be one of the blind spots.” [Source]

Transit Tax

Ely Portillo, WFAE Radio, 8/20/24

Cornelius town commissioners voted unanimously Monday night for a resolution in support of a proposed one-cent sales tax that would fund transportation and transit throughout Mecklenburg County. But while big transit projects like the long-delayed Red Line commuter rail and the Silver Line have gotten the most attention, Cornelius town manager Andrew Grant praised the fact that the plan would spend roughly half the new tax money on roads.

“No, there’s not enough hyperbole to cover. It’s a game-changer for road funding. I’ve never seen anything like this in my career,” he said.

Grant estimated the new tax would bring the northern towns $100 million in new road funding over its first five years. If state legislators approve, the one-cent sales tax could go before Mecklenburg County voters in November 2025. Matthews is the only municipality whose leaders oppose the proposal, because it would eliminate the Silver Line light rail’s eastern line and replace it instead with bus rapid transit to cut costs. [Source]

 

GOP Event

Chris Day, The Elizabeth City Daily Advance, 8/02/24

State Sen. Norm Sanderson reminded fellow Republicans Friday about the narrow advantage they stand to lose in the state Legislature if the Nov. 5 general election changes the makeup of either chamber by one seat. “We are exactly on the number in both the Senate and the House of having a supermajority,” said Sanderson, R-Pamlico. “If we lose one seat on either side we lose it.”

Despite Republicans’ efforts to ensure Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson gets elected governor and Donald Trump gets elected president, nothing is certain, Sanderson said. “We have no idea what’s going to happen,” he said.

Sanderson was addressing a group of nearly 50 Republicans attending a roundtable discussion led by Jason Simmons, chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party at the Pasquotank GOP’s new election headquarters at 405 E. Main Street, Suite 4.
 

Sanderson was joined by county Republican officials from across northeastern North Carolina, as well as state Rep. Bill Ward, R-Pasquotank, and Sheriffs Tommy Wooten, of Pasquotank, and Kevin Jones, of Camden. Laurie Buckhout, the Republican challenger to incumbent Congressman Don Davis, D-N.C., in the 1st U.S. House District, also was in attendance as was 1st U.S. House District GOP Chairman Harvey West.

Friday’s discussion focused on several issues — mainly border security and the state of the U.S. economy — that Republicans say they are hearing from voters about as election day nears. Sanderson said because both are equally important, he has a tough time deciding which is more concerning, border security or the economy.

“I’m not sure from day to day which one of those is in first place,” he said.

He also commented on President Joe Biden’s decision last month to drop out of the presidential race. “We were all hoping that Donald Trump would be running against Joe Biden but that’s not happening,” he said. “We always have an October surprise and I don’t think they’ve sprung it on us yet,” he said. [Source]

 

OBX Collapse

David Boraks, WFAE Radio, 8/20/24

Beaches in Dare County were closed this weekend after another house fell into the ocean in Rodanthe amid high waves from Hurricane Ernesto. The unoccupied two-story house collapsed Friday evening after years of erosion that left it in the middle of the public beach. Debris has been found up to 11 miles north. The National Park Service, which manages nearby Cape Hatteras National Seashore, says several other oceanfront structures nearby also have substantial damage.

It’s the seventh house in the area to be destroyed since 2020. Erosion, more intense storms and rising sea levels are to blame, says National Park Service superintendent Dave Hallac.

“It’s not uncommon for us to have a three to four meter per-year erosion rate, in other words, 10 plus feet of beachfront just disappearing to the Atlantic Ocean on an annual basis,” he said.

The park service also says erosion and ocean overwash have damaged houses in Buxton, near the southern end of Hatteras Island. A park service alert warns of damaged septic systems and debris on the beach and in the water. [Source]

Syringe Exchange

Taylor Knopf, NC Health News, 8/20/24

A nonprofit in Charlotte is helping people who use drugs find stable housing, creating a pathway to stability for a population that is frequently barred from traditional rental markets.

Queen City Harm Reduction secured a grant over a year ago to help house its participants — people who come to their center in northwest Charlotte and to their mobile services for safe drug use supplies and services — and the results have been promising. Once housed, many have found employment and reduced their substance use.

The grant money for the nonprofit’s Housing First program is from North Carolina’s portion of the McKinsey settlement for that company’s alleged role in fueling the opioid epidemic. Millions of dollars have begun to flow to North Carolina as the result of multi-state legal settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors — and in this case, the consulting firm that helped companies increase sales of Oxycontin. The money is intended to be used to offset the harms of opioid addiction. 

Lauren Kester, associate director of Queen City Harm Reduction, knows firsthand the challenges of securing a lease while having a history of misdemeanor drug crimes. Kester said she was fortunate to never experience chronic homelessness and to have parents who helped her by co-signing leases, but she watched people close to her struggle to find jobs and housing due to their substance use. In applying for a two-year grant to start the Housing First program, she wanted to help folks coming to the syringe exchange achieve housing stability. Many face significant challenges in securing traditional leases, including low income, low credit scores, lack of personal identification documents, criminal records, past evictions, active drug use and stigma from landlords.

Kester argued that, historically, society has demanded that people stop using substances such as drugs and alcohol before they could receive help. However, when people’s basic needs are met — housing, food, support — they’re in a better position to succeed, she said.

Many experiments over the past two decades with the housing first model of providing services have shown stronger results when programs are well-planned and provide multiple supportive services for people making a transition from being homeless to housed.  

“We’re seeing people who, once sheltered, are getting more hours and are moving from part-time to full-time work, or if they had no work, they are getting employed,” Kester said. [Source]

 

Lithium Mining

Business NC, 8/20/24

Piedmont Lithium has big plans for sites in North Carolina, Tennessee, Canada and Ghana, but industry headwinds are causing major changes at the startup company. Last week, Piedmont Lithium announced it is scrapping its proposed lithium hydroxide processing facility in Etowah, Tennessee, 60 miles north of Chattanooga. The operations, which were supposed to open next year, will now be incorporated into the company’s proposed Carolina Lithium project, covering a 1,548-acre tract in Gaston County, 30 miles west of Charlotte.

“Given the prevailing market realities, we made the decision to consolidate our planned lithium hydroxide production capacity in Tennessee into a second train in North Carolina to deploy capital and technical resources more efficiently and ensure Piedmont Lithium’s long-term competitive position,” Erin Sanders, the company’s senior vice president of corporate communications and investor relations, told Business North Carolina.

Piedmont submitted its application for the N.C. mine on Aug. 30, 2021, then received state approval last past April. The N.C. mine now hopes to be open by 2027, officials say.

The N.C. operation is expected to produce 60,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide annually when running at full steam. That’s triple the current U.S. production level, Sanders says.

But local opposition continues to mount against the mine. At the time of the state ruling, Gaston County Commissioner Chair Chad Brown said, “This will be one of the biggest economic development projects that has ever been brought to Gaston County. Now we have to figure out what will be the best inclinations for our community.”

Piedmont Lithium has not yet requested a zoning change from Gaston County commissioners, which the company needs to move forward, say Brown. Because the seven-member board will have two new members, and possibly a third, after November’s election, Brown says the zoning matter will not come up until at least December.

Lithium carbonate prices peaked at more than $80,000 per ton in November 2022. Since then, the price has slumped to less than $13,000 per ton. That includes a 15% decline over the past month. This steady decrease in lithium stock prices has affected the entire industry, including the largest U.S. lithium miner, Charlotte-based Albemarle Corp. Its shares have slumped nearly 70% over the past year, and it has announced plans for major cost-cutting and project delays.

Earlier this year, Piedmont laid off about 27% of its workforce, or about 16 workers, as a part of an effort to cut $10 million of annual costs. The company, which is based in Belmont in Gaston County, reported a net loss of $13.3 million during the second quarter. For the first half of the year, it lost $36.9 million, compared with a $19.3 million loss in the same period last year. Revenue totaled $26.6 million, during the first half, after reporting no revenue a year earlier. [Source]

Soldier Indictment

The Associated Press, 8/19/24

An active-duty soldier based in North Carolina has been indicted on charges of having lied to military authorities about his association with a group that advocated overthrowing the U.S. government and of trafficking firearms.

Kai Liam Nix, 20, who is stationed at Fort Liberty, made his first federal court appearance Monday on the four criminal counts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina said in a news release.

A grand jury returned the indictment against Nix — also known as Kai Brazelton — last Wednesday, and he was arrested the next day, the release said. A magistrate judge ordered Monday that Nix be held pending a detention hearing in Raleigh later this week.

The indictment alleges Nix made a false statement in 2022 on his security clearance application by stating he had never been a member of a group dedicated to the use of violence or force to overthrow the U.S. government and that engaged in activities to that end. Nix knew he had been a member of such a group, the indictment reads. Neither the indictment nor the news release provided details on the group.

The indictment also accuses Nix of one count of dealing in firearms without a license and two counts of selling a stolen firearm. These counts identify activities that occurred late last year and early this year. The types of firearms weren’t identified.

Nix was appointed a public defender on Monday, but a lawyer wasn’t listed in online court records late Monday. An after-hours phone message was left with the Office of the Federal Public Defender in Raleigh. Nix faces a maximum of 30 years in prison if convicted, the release from U.S. Attorney Michael Easley Jr.’s office said. Easley and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Department are investigating the case. [Source]

Deaths

Brad Rich and Lockwood Phillips, The Carteret County News-Times, 8/19/24

Longtime private and municipal attorney and Beaufort Mayor Richard Stanley died Friday after spending about a week in a hospice house. Stanley served five terms as mayor of his hometown, Beaufort, and represented Emerald Isle as its town attorney for a total of 42 years, beginning in 1977 until his retirement from the practice of law in December of 2022.
In addition to Emerald Isle, Stanley served at one time or another as the attorney for Carteret County, Beaufort, Atlantic Beach and the Carteret County Airport Board.

Those who worked with him were quick to express praise and sadness upon his passing.

Current Beaufort Commissioner Bucky Oliver called Stanley “a master of the written word, a loyal man and yet humble, unassuming and direct.” He said Stanley always “did what is right, without hesitation, and was a man of great humor.” [Source]

 

Named

News Release, 8/20/24

The North Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (NCMA) has announced that David Haines will become the organization’s president on Sept. 9. Haines was selected by the executive board to succeed Ross Smith, who retired on December 31, 2023, according to a news release. Haines has 18 years of experience leading and managing programs focused on energy, sustainability, and the environment. Haines has served as senior energy policy expert as a legislative fellow for Brookings Institution. He was a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Land & Minerals Management during the Obama administration, and was also global sustainability advisor for Shell Oil.

“David Haines was chosen from a list of strong candidates and has demonstrated excellence in all areas the selection committee deemed important in our next President,” said Kenneth Lin, chair of the NCMA Board of Directors. Since 1988, NCMA has represented manufacturers in the legislative and executive branches of state government, focusing on legislation and regulations that impact North Carolina’s position to help manufacturing companies to develop and grow their businesses. NCMA is a non-profit organization with a diverse membership base that includes chemical, pharmaceutical, wood products, adhesives, heavy equipment, heavy duty vehicles, furniture, and steel.

Accounting Error

Chuck Thompson, The Sampson Independent, 8/12/24

Ever since a county miscalculation of $1 million designated for county employees’ mid-point raises was announced publicly earlier this month, county administration has been working to discover how such a massive accounting error was made, and deal with the fall-out from such a mistake.

Although the Board of Commissioners approved allocating $747,000 for a mid-point raise for a majority of county employees, it was discovered that the county actually needed $1.7 million to bring those staffers to what was considered the mid point. Commissioners, told last Monday about the issue, voted to keep the budgeted amount at the initial $747,000.

The proposed increase in salaries was approved for the county budget back in June, and would not take effect until Aug. 15, according to County Manager Ed Causey, who also took responsibility for the miscalculation.

“Good bit of the challenge comes back to me,” Causey said during an interview Monday. “The way I had written the budget message. It was a mistake on my part. Fortunately, we caught it in time, but we created some personal anxiety for a number of people, and for that, I’m truly sorry.”

Although Causey was not able to provide a concrete number on how many employees were expecting the original raise, he did express concern about those living paycheck to paycheck. He said the county is currently still calculating what the actual raises will be compared to what they planned.

Causey also said that he was not aware if employees had been told what their raise amount would have been. While he noted that some department heads have expressed their concern over the situation, any complaints by county employees are handled through Sampson County Human Resources.

“If we could have prevented this we would have — we didn’t do anything purposely,” Causey explained, stating it was solely a calculation error.

“It’s just a mathematical error, not a policy matter,” added County Commissioner Chairman Jerol Kivett. [Source]

NCCU Ranking

Glyniss Wiggins, WNCN News, 8/20/24

North Carolina Central University’s online bachelor’s degree program in nutrition and dietetics has been recognized as one of the best in the nation by Forbes. According to Forbes Advisor, NCCU sits at the No. 2 spot out of 10 nationwide for the Best Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Nutrition Science and is the only Historically Black College and University on the list.

The program was evaluated on several factors, including credibility, affordability, student outcomes, experiences and the application process.

The online degree program at NCCU is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). It is the state’s first fully accredited distance education program for dietetics and the only online HBCU undergraduate Didactic Program in Dietetics in the country. Appalachian State University located in Boone was in the No. 1 spot on the Forbes list. [Source]

 

Racing Layoffs

Kevin Ellis, Business NC, 8/20/24

The end of Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of the NASCAR season will lead to the loss of 323 jobs. Some of those employees may find jobs with a smaller team moving forward in 2025 with just half of the current ownership duo. 

NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Tony Stewart and Gene Haas formed the Kannapolis-based team before the start of the 2009 season, and together collected 69 wins, the last coming in November 2022. In May, the pair announced this season will be the last for the four-car Cup team, which also has two cars racing in the second-tier NASCAR Xfinity Series.

In June, Haas announced he would form a new team, Haas Racing Factory, that would race a single car in the NASCAR Cup series, plus a two-car team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Some of the current Stewart-Haas Racing team members may remain with the new team, Haas Factory Team, which will have approximately 90 to 100 employees, according to paperwork filed with the state. Haas has owned or co-owned a Cup Series team since 2002. He founded Haas Automation in 1983 in Oxnard, California. The machine tool manufacturer now operates out of a 1.1 million-square-foot facility in southern California. [Source]

NC Insider Legislative Report

LB: LEGISLATIVE BUILDING. LOB: LEGISLATIVE OFFICE BUILDING

HOUSE CALENDAR

Monday, Sept. 9, 2024

House Convenes at 12 P.M.

SENATE CALENDAR

Monday, Sept. 9, 2024

Senate Convenes at 12 P.M.

HOUSE & SENATE: Reconvening allowed under provisions of SB 916, if no sine die adjournment previously adopted.

  • Monday, Sept. 9 to Wednesday, Sept. 11
  • Wednesday, Oct. 9
  • Tuesday, Nov. 19 to Friday Nov. 22
  • Wednesday, Dec. 11 to Friday Dec. 13

Legislative Studies and Meetings

LB: LEGISLATIVE BUILDING. LOB: LEGISLATIVE OFFICE BUILDING

Thursday, August 22

  • 1 p.m. | North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force, Perinatal Health Committee, Virtual Meeting.
  • 2 p.m. | America’s Semiquincentennial Committee, 1228/1327 LB

Thursday, August 29

  • 1 p.m. | Agriculture and Forestry Awareness Study Commission, Ed Emory Auditorium, Kenansville.

N.C. Government Meetings and Hearings

BOLD ITEMS ARE NEW LISTINGS

Wednesday, Aug. 21

  • 10 a.m. | North Carolina Travel & Tourism Board meets, Wells Fargo Capitol Center, 150 Fayetteville St. Raleigh.
  • 11 a.m. | The State Library Commission meets, 109 E. Jones St. Raleigh.

Thursday, Aug. 22

  • 9 a.m. | North Carolina State Ports Authority  – August Board of Directors Meeting, 2202 Burnett Blvd. Wilmington.
  • 10 a.m. | North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission  – General Commission Meeting, NC Judicial Center, 901 Corporate Center Drive, Raleigh.

Tuesday, Aug. 27

  • 1 p.m. | Coastal Resources Commission Meeting, Beaufort Hotel 2440 Lennoxville Road, Beaufort.

Wednesday, Aug. 28

  • 9 a.m. | Coastal Resources Commission Meeting, Beaufort Hotel 2440 Lennoxville Road, Beaufort.
  • 10 a.m. | North Carolina Rules Review Commission  – Rules Review Commission Meeting, 1711 New Hope Church Road, Raleigh.
  • 1 p.m. | NC Global TransPark Authority  – Executive Committee Meeting, 2780 Jetport Road, Kinston.

Tuesday, Sept. 3

  • 1:30 p.m. | The Accountability Committee of The North Carolina Partnership for Children meets, The meeting will be held via Zoom. You may contact Yvonne Huntley at 984.221.1242 or email at [email protected] for additional information.

Friday, Sept. 6

  • 10 a.m. | The Finance and Audit Committee of The North Carolina Partnership for Children meets, The meeting will be held via Zoom. You may contact Yvonne Huntley at 984.221.1242 or email at [email protected] for additional information.

Tuesday, Sept. 10

  • 8:30 a.m. | The Fund Development Committee of The North Carolina Partnership for Children meets, The meeting will be held via Zoom. You may contact Yvonne Huntley at 984.221.1242 or email at [email protected] for additional information.

Tuesday, Sept. 17

  • 10 a.m. | The North Carolina Partnership for Children Board of Directors meets. You may contact Yvonne Huntley at 984.221.1242 or email at [email protected] for additional information.

UNC Board of Governors

23 S. WEST STREET, SUITE 1800, RALEIGH

Wednesday, Sept. 11

  • Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

Thursday, Sept. 12

  • Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

Thursday, Oct. 17

  • Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

Wednesday, Nov. 13

  • Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

Thursday, Nov. 14

  • Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

N.C. Utilities Commission Hearing Schedule

DOBBS BUILDING, 430 NORTH SALISBURY STREET, RALEIGH

Wednesday, Aug. 21

  • 7 p.m. | Public Witness Hearing – Application for General Rate Increase for Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. | G-9 Sub 837

Thursday, Aug. 22

  • 7 p.m. | Public Witness Hearing – Application for General Rate Increase for Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. | G-9 Sub 837
  • Other Meetings and Events of Interest

BOLD ITEMS ARE NEW LISTINGS

Wedesday, Aug. 21

  • Gov. Roy Cooper will be in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention.

Friday, Sept. 6

Friday, Sept. 27

  • 2024 Lumbee Powwow, Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center, 638 Terry Sanford Drive, Maxton.

‘A whole different atmosphere’: Committee tasked with examining students’ classroom cellphone use slated to hold 1st meeting

Posted on by Matt Resnick

Two Kansas State Board of Education members who often reside on opposite ends of the policy spectrum share a commonality when it comes to students’ cellphone usage in K-12 classrooms: allowing local boards to maintain control over the matter, which has exploded into a hot-button issue nationwide. 

Board President Melanie Haas and District 1 Rep. Danny Zeck are in agreement on that much, and both are playing roles in a process that could lead to stricter enforcement of classroom cellphone use and screen time. There’s not a blanket policy on the books restricting cellphones in classrooms. Those directives are crafted by local boards and frequently left to individual building administrators’ discretion. 

“Those policies might vary from building to building, just based on the challenges they’ve had,” Haas told State Affairs. “We’re still a local-control state, and I think it’s really important that those decisions are made by local boards.”

Haas spearheaded the push for the creation of a blue-ribbon committee that will soon examine the perils of students’ cellphone use and overall screen time during school hours. Haas and Zeck are representing the board on the 36-member task force, which seeks to mold recommendations that the state board will review. 

The first of six meetings is slated for 4-5:30 p.m. Thursday and will be publicly viewable. The committee will also have a website and email address for questions and general feedback.

“As the task force does their work and comes to the conclusion of that work, what I’m really looking forward to is having some kind of guidance that the state board can sign off on and recommend to school districts,” Haas said. 

Haas said it’s imperative that they’re “creating environments where kids can learn and do so without distraction,” and limiting cellphone usage could be the first step in that direction. But she added that “readily available distractions” are also present via students’ district-issued devices, such as laptops and tablets. She said she’s heard feedback from parents regarding the successes or perceived failures of districts in attempting to implement “one-to-one student device” policies.

Haas said Kansas has 286 school districts that deploy different approaches for handling student devices, firewalls and content filters.

“I hear parents say, ‘My district is doing a great job,’” Haas said. “And then I’ll hear parents from another district say, ‘I have all these challenges with the device the district has issued.’ I’ve heard a wide variety of concerns from parents whose students have access to this website or this type of content. And it surprises them and doesn’t seem like something they should have access to at school.” 

Zeck echoed Haas’ sentiments pertaining to excessive screen time — with some studies concluding it can lead to a drain on students’ mental well-being and result in lower GPAs. He wants to know if districts can do more to strike a balance between screen time and hands-on classroom activities.

Zeck said limiting screen time could lead to better student outcomes. According to a 2022 study published by Common Sense Media, 13-to-18-year-olds devote more than eight hours a day to screen time — inside and outside the classroom — while 8-to-12-year-olds check in at 5 hours 33 minutes daily — representing “a substantial increase” from the previous study in 2019.

“If we’re going to restrict cellphones in the classroom, what are we going to do with the screen time?” Zeck asked. “How many years have we been pushing computers? And now we’re buying computers that students can take home.”

Zeck said he’s observed marked behavioral changes in classrooms restricting cellphones, calling it “a whole different atmosphere.” And that happened, Zeck said, only because the instructor enforced the rules. 

Zeck said that regardless of any task force members’ position on the topic, “let’s just have a good and open discussion.” 

Task force composition 

The committee is primarily composed of teachers, students, principals, superintendents and parents. A pair of Republican legislators — Sen. Chase Blasi and Rep. Scott Hill — were tapped for the task force.

Education Commissioner Randy Watston said each of the 10 state board members submitted three or four people they thought would be a good fit for the committee, with those lists eventually whittled to two selections apiece, corresponding with how those individuals matched with specific categories the committee will review. Those categories included personal student devices, such as cellphones and Apple Watches, and school-issued devices. 

The board put out an “all-call” notice for the remaining 12 slots, and according to Watson, 90 people responded. But he didn’t provide details regarding the process that led to the selection of Blasi and Hill. Watston noted he was unconcerned by the absence of Democratic lawmakers on the committee, pointing to House Bill 2461, sponsored by Hill during the 2024 legislative session.

HB 2461 would have required local school boards to devise a policy barring personal cellphone use during normal school hours. The bill ultimately died in committee. Watson added that Blasi has a vested interest as a sitting member of the Senate Committee on Education. 

“They had already indicated that they were interested,” he said, adding that the selections “had nothing to do with” political affiliation. 

Matt Resnick is a statehouse reporter at State Affairs Pro Kansas/Hawver’s Capitol Report. Reach him at [email protected].

Statehouse Briefs: Harris-Walz ticket on Kansas ballot

Posted on by Brett Stover

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are officially on the general election ballot in Kansas.

Secretary of State Scott Schwab said Tuesday that his office had received the official certification of nomination from the Democratic National Committee. Though Democrats still plan to hold a ceremonial roll call during their convention in Chicago this week, the party held the official vote virtually earlier this month.

Harris and Walz join the Republican ticket — former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance — and the Libertarian Party’s Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat on the ballot.

The final ballot entrant could be Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his running mate Nicole Shanahan — though Shanahan said Tuesday the independent ticket is weighing dropping out and endorsing Trump.

RFK Jr.’s campaign said it submitted 9,000 signatures on Aug. 5. If at least 5,000 are valid, Kennedy would be on the Kansas ballot, and the Secretary of State’s Office said it expects to make an announcement soon on the candidate’s eligibility.

The secretary of state also received a petition from Green Party candidate Jill Stein but deemed the petition invalid. According to Stein’s website, her campaign collected just 670 of the required 5,000 signatures.

Parties must submit the names of their presidential electors by Sept. 1. Ballots must be sent 45 days before the November general election to Kansans who serve in the military or live overseas.

Elanco investing $130M in Elwood facility

Elanco Animal Health Inc. plans to invest $130 million to expand and renovate a manufacturing facility in Elwood.

Gov. Laura Kelly announced the news Tuesday. Her office said the expansion is expected to create about 70 jobs over the next two years.

Elanco’s expansion adds to Kansas’ “unparalleled economic momentum,” Kelly said in a statement, adding that the company’s investment is a testament to her administration’s work to attract and retain businesses.

“We appreciate the commitment of the State of Kansas, Doniphan County, and the City of Elwood to help pets live longer, healthier, more active lives,” Elanco Vice President Grace McArdle said in a news release.

Supreme Court appoints 5 to commission

The Kansas Supreme Court appointed five members, including one reappointment, to the Kansas Commission on Judicial Conduct. 

The 14-person commission reviews complaints and helps determine whether a judge has violated the Supreme Court’s code of ethics for all judges in the state. The new members will serve through June 30, 2028:

  • District Judge Thomas Kelly Ryan, 10th Judicial District
  • District Judge Paula D. Hofaker, 17th Judicial District
  • Tonda Jones Hill, lawyer, Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office
  • Joyce A. Pigge, Lindsborg (nonlawyer)
  • Sister Rosemary Kolich, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (nonlawyer, reappointment)

The members — six active or retired judges, four lawyers and four nonlawyers — are divided into two panels, and each panel meets once a month.

Brett Stover is a Statehouse reporter at State Affairs Pro Kansas/Hawver’s Capitol Report. Reach him at [email protected] or on X @BrettStoverKS.

IEDC seeks $101M boost to its new deal closing fund

Posted on by Tom Davies

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. is asking for a $101 million boost to its deal closing fund that was created in last year’s state budget bill through a $500 million appropriation.

The request for the augmentation from the state’s General Fund is included on the State Budget Committee agenda for its Thursday meeting in Bloomington.

Other IEDC requests for Thursday include $50 million toward extending water infrastructure for the LEAP Lebanon Innovation District and $51 million for land purchases and other infrastructure work at the district.

Boosting incentives for Kokomo project

The agenda says the $101 million augmentation would be part of a $245 million IEDC incentive commitment to “Project Fusion” in Howard County. 

That name has been used for the Stellantis/Samsung SDI joint venture that’s building two electric vehicle battery manufacturing plants in Kokomo, where those plants will ultimately have some 2,800 workers, the companies have said.

It wasn’t immediately clear from where in the state budget that additional money was being transferred. It also was unclear whether the $245 million incentive to Project Fusion included the $120 million the Budget Committee endorsed last year for one of the Stellantis plants.

The IEDC and the governor’s office didn’t immediately respond to questions Tuesday from State Affairs about the proposed transfer.

The 2023 budget bill appropriated $500 million toward Gov. Eric Holcomb’s request for a new deal closing fund to be administered by the IEDC. 

A provision of the budget bill said that “the deal closing fund may be augmented by the budget agency” for economic development projects with a proposed capital investment of at least $5 billion upon Budget Committee review.

The IEDC’s request indicated the Project Fusion investment had reached $5.9 billion.

Additional LEAP District requests

IEDC officials are seeking approval for $50 million from the deal closing fund to help secure financing for a project that will deliver 25 million gallons of water a day to the City of Lebanon.

“As a result of significant investments by Eli Lilly and other companies locating within the LEAP District, the City of Lebanon requires additional water capacity to serve these new tenants as well as to sustain the community’s continued growth,” the agenda request said.

The potential $100 million project would involve Citizens Energy possibly tapping into water systems in Westfield and Whitestown to ship water to Lebanon’s city utility, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported.

Citizens Energy would be transferring water from its central Indiana system, which includes drawing water from the White River, Fall Creek and wells.

Lebanon Mayor Matt Gentry said he did not expect the Citizens Energy project to eliminate the possible future need of the contentious proposed pipeline from the Wabash River aquifer near Lafayette to the LEAP District, the IBJ reported.

The IEDC is also seeking Budget Committee approval for $36 million in deal closing fund money for “property acquisition, deposits, and option payments for approximately 1,850 acres of land in Boone County to support three projects within the LEAP District.”

Those companies were not identified beyond being described as “engaged in advanced computing, information technology, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing.”

The other deal closing fund request seeks $15 million for LEAP District infrastructure work that includes “upgrading roadways, installing a roundabout, and utility installation to serve tenants of the district.”

Deal closing fund spending so far

The Budget Committee has approved nearly $300 million in deal closing fund requests from the IEDC over the past year.

That amount includes the $120 million toward the Stellantis project in Kokomo, along with $80 million approved in December for an offer to an unidentified company planning a $3.1 billion advanced manufacturing facility.

The IEDC won approval in June for $88 million in land purchase and infrastructure costs in the LEAP District from the deal closing fund. 

The agency said that money came from a $100 million incentive package approved by the Budget Committee in December for a “Project Nora” that did not come to fruition. IEDC officials described the project as involving a $4.1 billion advanced manufacturing project with a projected 2,700 jobs.

Tom Davies is a Statehouse reporter for State Affairs Pro Indiana. Reach him at [email protected] or on X at @TomDaviesIND.

Donnelly’s ambassadorship was shaped by crises

Posted on by Brian A. Howey

CHICAGO — When President Biden sent former U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly off to become his envoy to the Vatican in February 2022, the two met at the White House.

“President Biden said at the end of our meeting, ‘I hope it’s a quiet time,’” Donnelly recalled.

It was not unlike the experience of another former U.S. senator from Indiana — Dan Coats — who arrived as America’s chief diplomat to Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 10, 2001, just hours before the al-Qaida terror attacks changed everything.

By the time Donnelly arrived in Rome, Russia had invaded Ukraine. Then last October came the Hamas attacks in Israel, igniting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that is still shaking worldwide politics.

“It turned out to be the exact opposite because I was actually sworn in in South Bend on Feb. 15 so they could start giving me the intelligence as to what was going on in Ukraine and Russia,” Donnelly told State Affairs in an exclusive Howey Politics Indiana interview at the Fairmont hotel in Chicago, where he chairs the Indiana delegation to the Democratic National Convention.

When he arrived at the Vatican, Ambassador Donnelly discovered that Pope Francis believed NATO had played a role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Pope Francis is an incredible leader and an incredible person, but NATO had nothing to do with this,” Donnelly said he told the Holy See. “This was Vladimir Putin deciding he wanted to take Ukraine because he is a fascist. He’s a modern-day Hitler. That’s who he is. So we were deeply involved in Ukraine from the beginning.”

Donnelly was able to convince the pope otherwise. “I was really pleased that, shortly after that, the official position of the Vatican became, ‘This was an invasion of Ukraine by Russia.’ We were able to get on the same page almost the entire time.”

“The first meeting with the pope was about 45 minutes, and about 40 of it was about Ukraine,” Donnelly said. “He was incredibly well versed as well. His natural goal is peace and to achieve peace, and to try to do it the right way. My job was to say, ‘Here’s how we think that can be done.’”

Read the full interview with Donnelly in Thursday’s Howey Politics Indiana weekly edition.

Brian A. Howey is senior writer and columnist for Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs. Find Howey on Facebook and X @hwypol.

The DNC according to James Carville

Posted on by Jeremy Alford

Approaching age 80, James Carville — the Democratic Party’s own Ragin’ Cajun — is preparing for the release of a documentary about his life’s work, reflecting on his decision to ask President Joe Biden to step down and embracing an age where he can “say anything I want.”

CHICAGO (Aug. 19, 2024) — Here comes James Carville.

Tall and thin. An unmissable head attached to an unstoppable mouth. Animated and kinetic. All worthy of lampoon on “Saturday Night Live.”

He moves up the street like someone who was reared in a place where grilled alligator is a tailgate staple at football games and Mardi Gras is a school holiday. Where redfish and catfish are caught with patience and coolers of beer are chased with stories that are at best downright lies, or at worst entertaining.

The man moves without care. Paid speeches, bestselling books, successful campaigns and a never-ending string of television and podcast appearances all pad his footing. The critics who call him out of touch or desperate for attention further float his stride.

Clad in his United States Marine Corps Semper Fi baseball cap and a purple-and-gold Louisiana State University hoodie, he has two old friends in tow. The destination is an Italian restaurant, Rosebud on Rush. That’s where the crush of political celebrity begins.

James Carville fields calls at Rosebud in Chicago. (Credit: Jeremy Alford)

From passersby on East Superior Street to those already seated inside, there are nods of recognition and outstretched hands and remarks about forgotten campaigns. Carville has certainly come a long way since forging floor passes at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. (We’ll get to that later.)

The Ragin’ Cajun is clearly in his element, among his people. It’s the first day of the 2024 Democratic Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, which also happens to be the birthday of former President Bill Clinton. Carville served as the lead strategist for Clinton’s unforgettable 1992 White House run, and ever since their respective stories have been intertwined. Later that night, Carville was planning to attend a reunion of the ’92 team. 

One of the major storylines of this convention, however, is Carville’s relationship with President Joe Biden. Months ago, before the chorus grew louder, Carville called for Biden to step aside. From the moment he was standing practically alone on this appeal to the day Biden announced he wouldn’t seek reelection, Carville has enjoyed a resurgence of media impressions. 

A 79-year-old resident of New Orleans, Carville books what he can. The New York Times, Fox News, The Guardian and The Washington Post have all knocked, among many others. Even when he’s on his own podcast, “Politics War Room,” Carville is making headlines. (He recently suggested certain Republicans “describe themselves as pro-Israel … because the Jews are whiter than the Palestinians.”) He also told CNN over the weekend that “[Donald] Trump don’t taste the same” since Vice President Kamala Harris entered the race.

With yet another interview to sit for, Carville asks for a table outside.

“Let’s get a bottle of red,” he says while taking a seat that faces the corner of North Rush and East Superior streets.

He’s still riding the high of that morning’s appearance on “Morning Joe” alongside Baton Rouge native Bradley Beychok, formerly of American Bridge 21st Century and now a founding partner of Lafayette Advisors. 

“What an act!” Carville exclaimed upon sitting down, throwing his hands in the air. “What a Looziana act!”

The conversation turns to the newspaper business and small bayou towns before Carville mentions he’s entering a new season of his life, described plainly as “getting older.” His fortunes are no longer tied to the fates of others, and he only takes the work he wants. 

“I ain’t got no boss,” Carville says, tipping his baseball cap back a bit. “I can say anything I want.”

Our interview with Carville has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Q. State Affairs: When you were on MSNBC this morning, you said Vice President Kamala Harris needed to tell her own story when she addresses the convention this week. What did you mean by that, and how should she go about accomplishing this goal? 

“She needs to put her life and experience in context. You can’t go into one of these things assuming people know. Because generally they do not. If she can just get her life story across, it’s a success. You can’t expect too much out of these things. I’m really colored by the Clinton experience. In the spring of ’92, people thought he was a rich kid, a dilettante, a summers-in-the-south-of-France kind of guy. Once they found out he was raised in an ordinary place with a single mother and an abusive dad, that changed the room temperature. That was critical. Biography is a big part of this.” 

Q. Do Democrats have a plan to win?

“It’s easy to have a plan. It’s harder to execute said plan. Anybody can come up with a path to victory, but how do you stay disciplined? How do you not get distracted? How do you stay focused? That’s the difference.”

Q. What kind of role should President Joe Biden play in this campaign after his convention speech?

“Pretty limited. So much of her message, by necessity, has to be forward looking. But I think it’ll be fine for him to make a few appearances and say there’s a record to build on, not sit on. I’ve said before the most thundering sound in all of politics is the sound of a turning page. That makes more racket than an August thunderstorm in New Orleans.”

Q. You asked Biden to drop out and not long after you discussed how it made you uncomfortable and you didn’t necessarily want to be out on that limb. As we sit here on the first day of the convention, how do you feel about it now?

“I’ll be honest. I felt like I did my duty. I was in a position most people are not. Most people have something to lose. The big advantage for me is no one can fire me. I don’t think I could have done this even 10 years ago.”

Q. Prior to 1992, had you attended a party convention?

“I went in ’84 in San Francisco, and then in ’88 in Atlanta. That’s when I was working for the governor of Pennsylvania and we had a printer just print up about a thousand floor passes. [Laughing]”

The crush of political celebrity again finds Carville.

“Oh my God! Hey!” said a man making his way to a nearby table with a group of enthusiastic Democrats, based on their T-shirts and buttons. 

“How y’all doing?” Carville responded, happy to see them even if he didn’t know them.

“I’m sorry to interrupt. Are you doing an interview? My first campaign was Bill Clinton.”

“Alright!” Carville let out. “Okay!”

Others in the group quickly injected stories about campaigns from the 1990s and knocking on doors for Hillary Clinton.

“This is my guy!” the man says, clapping Carville’s back. “Harris needs to hire you!”

As the group disperses, the Ragin’ Cajun refocuses on his interview. These certainly weren’t the Democrats leaning into Carville when he first asked Biden to step aside.

“You think they mad at me?” he asks, laughing. 

Q. You were telling me in ’88 you had a printer forge floor passes?

“Yeah! We cranked ’em out! They didn’t have all that detection stuff. We even made sure they all had the union bug!” 

Q. What about the ’84 convention, your first convention? Where does your mind go when you think about that?

“I think about Mario Cuomo practicing his keynote in an empty hall. There were about 25 other people there and he didn’t care. He was practicing his lines and his pitch. He was practicing his timing. That taught me a lesson I told all my candidates. When you’re in front of the mirror, practice. When you’re in a car with what we call a body man, have him ask questions and practice. Practice, practice, practice. Timing is huge. Pauses are huge. For 45 minutes I watched this master orator practice his speech over and over and literally not give a shit.”

Q. Here you are 40 years later at your latest convention. What’s on your mind today?

“These things have become a form of security theater. There’s a lot of rigmarole, more rigmarole than anything else. I guess it’s the way we live now. It’s necessary. I’ve always kind of wondered how much longer these conventions are gonna last.”

Q. Why is that?

“There are so many crazy people out there who want to ruin things for everyone else. It’s just trouble. Right now we can do some good here, but the city has to raise money, it costs so much to get here and it’s a logistical nightmare. I don’t think we’ll see another convention in New Orleans or Florida in August because of the hurricanes. I could see a crapshoot in July, maybe.”

Q. As for next acts, I understand there’s a documentary about you coming out soon. What can you tell me about it?

“Frankly, it’s about me. The name is ‘Carville.’ We’re going to have an invitation-only screening in New Orleans at the Prytania on the 22nd of October. We open Labor Day weekend at a film festival that, all I can say, is in western Colorado. But it’s prestigious. We’ve also been accepted to a Middleburg, Virginia, festival and a Savannah festival. I haven’t seen it, but I’ll watch it in Colorado. Those who have seen it call it a postcard for the city of New Orleans. I think people are going to love the cinematography in it.”

Carville takes a break from the interview to order his food.

“I want a chopped salad to start and a bowl of minestrone with no cheese for the entree,” he says.

“You want me to bring out the soup and then the salad, sir?”

“No,” Carville says. “The salad, then the soup. Cold then hot.”

There’s time for one more question.

Q. Turning back to politics, if the DNC gave you five minutes on stage, what would you use that time for?

“No whining. No complaining. Stay focused. Don’t get ahead of yourself. We could lose this thing easily.”

Jeremy Alford is managing editor of LaPolitics Weekly/State Affairs. Reach him at [email protected] and @LaPoliticsNow.

The DNC according to James Carville

Posted on by Jeremy Alford

Approaching age 80, James Carville — the Democratic Party’s own Ragin’ Cajun — is preparing for the release of a documentary about his life’s work, reflecting on his decision to ask President Joe Biden to step down and embracing an age where he can “say anything I want.”

CHICAGO (Aug. 19, 2024) — Here comes James Carville.

Tall and thin. An unmissable head attached to an unstoppable mouth. Animated and kinetic. All worthy of lampoon on “Saturday Night Live.”

He moves up the street like someone who was reared in a place where grilled alligator is a tailgate staple at football games and Mardi Gras is a school holiday. Where redfish and catfish are caught with patience and coolers of beer are chased with stories that are at best downright lies, or at worst entertaining.

The man moves without care. Paid speeches, bestselling books, successful campaigns and a never-ending string of television and podcast appearances all pad his footing. The critics who call him out of touch or desperate for attention further float his stride.

Clad in his United States Marine Corps Semper Fi baseball cap and a purple-and-gold Louisiana State University hoodie, he has two old friends in tow. The destination is an Italian restaurant, Rosebud on Rush. That’s where the crush of political celebrity begins.

James Carville fields calls at Rosebud in Chicago. (Credit: Jeremy Alford)

From passersby on East Superior Street to those already seated inside, there are nods of recognition and outstretched hands and remarks about forgotten campaigns. Carville has certainly come a long way since forging floor passes at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. (We’ll get to that later.)

The Ragin’ Cajun is clearly in his element, among his people. It’s the first day of the 2024 Democratic Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, which also happens to be the birthday of former President Bill Clinton. Carville served as the lead strategist for Clinton’s unforgettable 1992 White House run, and ever since their respective stories have been intertwined. Later that night, Carville was planning to attend a reunion of the ’92 team. 

One of the major storylines of this convention, however, is Carville’s relationship with President Joe Biden. Months ago, before the chorus grew louder, Carville called for Biden to step aside. From the moment he was standing practically alone on this appeal to the day Biden announced he wouldn’t seek reelection, Carville has enjoyed a resurgence of media impressions. 

A 79-year-old resident of New Orleans, Carville books what he can. The New York Times, Fox News, The Guardian and The Washington Post have all knocked, among many others. Even when he’s on his own podcast, “Politics War Room,” Carville is making headlines. (He recently suggested certain Republicans “describe themselves as pro-Israel … because the Jews are whiter than the Palestinians.”) He also told CNN over the weekend that “[Donald] Trump don’t taste the same” since Vice President Kamala Harris entered the race.

With yet another interview to sit for, Carville asks for a table outside.

“Let’s get a bottle of red,” he says while taking a seat that faces the corner of North Rush and East Superior streets.

He’s still riding the high of that morning’s appearance on “Morning Joe” alongside Baton Rouge native Bradley Beychok, formerly of American Bridge 21st Century and now a founding partner of Lafayette Advisors. 

“What an act!” Carville exclaimed upon sitting down, throwing his hands in the air. “What a Looziana act!”

The conversation turns to the newspaper business and small bayou towns before Carville mentions he’s entering a new season of his life, described plainly as “getting older.” His fortunes are no longer tied to the fates of others, and he only takes the work he wants. 

“I ain’t got no boss,” Carville says, tipping his baseball cap back a bit. “I can say anything I want.”

Our interview with Carville has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Q. State Affairs: When you were on MSNBC this morning, you said Vice President Kamala Harris needed to tell her own story when she addresses the convention this week. What did you mean by that, and how should she go about accomplishing this goal? 

“She needs to put her life and experience in context. You can’t go into one of these things assuming people know. Because generally they do not. If she can just get her life story across, it’s a success. You can’t expect too much out of these things. I’m really colored by the Clinton experience. In the spring of ’92, people thought he was a rich kid, a dilettante, a summers-in-the-south-of-France kind of guy. Once they found out he was raised in an ordinary place with a single mother and an abusive dad, that changed the room temperature. That was critical. Biography is a big part of this.” 

Q. Do Democrats have a plan to win?

“It’s easy to have a plan. It’s harder to execute said plan. Anybody can come up with a path to victory, but how do you stay disciplined? How do you not get distracted? How do you stay focused? That’s the difference.”

Q. What kind of role should President Joe Biden play in this campaign after his convention speech?

“Pretty limited. So much of her message, by necessity, has to be forward looking. But I think it’ll be fine for him to make a few appearances and say there’s a record to build on, not sit on. I’ve said before the most thundering sound in all of politics is the sound of a turning page. That makes more racket than an August thunderstorm in New Orleans.”

Q. You asked Biden to drop out and not long after you discussed how it made you uncomfortable and you didn’t necessarily want to be out on that limb. As we sit here on the first day of the convention, how do you feel about it now?

“I’ll be honest. I felt like I did my duty. I was in a position most people are not. Most people have something to lose. The big advantage for me is no one can fire me. I don’t think I could have done this even 10 years ago.”

Q. Prior to 1992, had you attended a party convention?

“I went in ’84 in San Francisco, and then in ’88 in Atlanta. That’s when I was working for the governor of Pennsylvania and we had a printer just print up about a thousand floor passes. [Laughing]”

The crush of political celebrity again finds Carville.

“Oh my God! Hey!” said a man making his way to a nearby table with a group of enthusiastic Democrats, based on their T-shirts and buttons. 

“How y’all doing?” Carville responded, happy to see them even if he didn’t know them.

“I’m sorry to interrupt. Are you doing an interview? My first campaign was Bill Clinton.”

“Alright!” Carville let out. “Okay!”

Others in the group quickly injected stories about campaigns from the 1990s and knocking on doors for Hillary Clinton.

“This is my guy!” the man says, clapping Carville’s back. “Harris needs to hire you!”

As the group disperses, the Ragin’ Cajun refocuses on his interview. These certainly weren’t the Democrats leaning into Carville when he first asked Biden to step aside.

“You think they mad at me?” he asks, laughing. 

Q. You were telling me in ’88 you had a printer forge floor passes?

“Yeah! We cranked ’em out! They didn’t have all that detection stuff. We even made sure they all had the union bug!” 

Q. What about the ’84 convention, your first convention? Where does your mind go when you think about that?

“I think about Mario Cuomo practicing his keynote in an empty hall. There were about 25 other people there and he didn’t care. He was practicing his lines and his pitch. He was practicing his timing. That taught me a lesson I told all my candidates. When you’re in front of the mirror, practice. When you’re in a car with what we call a body man, have him ask questions and practice. Practice, practice, practice. Timing is huge. Pauses are huge. For 45 minutes I watched this master orator practice his speech over and over and literally not give a shit.”

Q. Here you are 40 years later at your latest convention. What’s on your mind today?

“These things have become a form of security theater. There’s a lot of rigmarole, more rigmarole than anything else. I guess it’s the way we live now. It’s necessary. I’ve always kind of wondered how much longer these conventions are gonna last.”

Q. Why is that?

“There are so many crazy people out there who want to ruin things for everyone else. It’s just trouble. Right now we can do some good here, but the city has to raise money, it costs so much to get here and it’s a logistical nightmare. I don’t think we’ll see another convention in New Orleans or Florida in August because of the hurricanes. I could see a crapshoot in July, maybe.”

Q. As for next acts, I understand there’s a documentary about you coming out soon. What can you tell me about it?

“Frankly, it’s about me. The name is ‘Carville.’ We’re going to have an invitation-only screening in New Orleans at the Prytania on the 22nd of October. We open Labor Day weekend at a film festival that, all I can say, is in western Colorado. But it’s prestigious. We’ve also been accepted to a Middleburg, Virginia, festival and a Savannah festival. I haven’t seen it, but I’ll watch it in Colorado. Those who have seen it call it a postcard for the city of New Orleans. I think people are going to love the cinematography in it.”

Carville takes a break from the interview to order his food.

“I want a chopped salad to start and a bowl of minestrone with no cheese for the entree,” he says.

“You want me to bring out the soup and then the salad, sir?”

“No,” Carville says. “The salad, then the soup. Cold then hot.”

There’s time for one more question.

Q. Turning back to politics, if the DNC gave you five minutes on stage, what would you use that time for?

“No whining. No complaining. Stay focused. Don’t get ahead of yourself. We could lose this thing easily.”

Jeremy Alford is managing editor of LaPolitics Weekly/State Affairs. Reach him at [email protected] and @LaPoliticsNow.

JD Vance coming to Nashville for high roller fundraiser

Posted on by Andy Sher

Republican Vice Presidential nominee JD Vance is scheduled be in Nashville on Tuesday for a fundraiser hosted by a group of top Tennessee Republican business executives and donors.

Billed as “An Evening Reception with the Next Vice President of the United States,” the event lists U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood and Bill Hagerty of Nashville as featured guests. Vance is a U.S. senator from Ohio.

Host committee members have agreed to contribute or raise $50,000 per couple. Given the number named on the invite, that alone will bring in $600,000 for Donald Trump’s presidential bid.

Other categories of giving or fundraising are $25,000, $15,000 and $2,500. The $50,000 category as well as the $15,000 category are already filled, according to the invite.

Hosts include Adam Boehler, CEO of Rubicon Founders, an entrepreneurial health care investment; former auto dealer Lee Beaman; CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger (a potential 2026 gubernatorial candidate); short term lenders Tina and Mike Hodges of Advance Financial in Nashville; and Alan Jones of Cleveland, the chairman and CEO of Check Into Cash, who is often credited as pioneering the short-term loan industry.

Other co-hosts are Dan Crockett, CEO of American Mortgage Co. and Brad Smith, founder and CEO of Russell Street Ventures which is involved in building healthcare companies. Smith was deputy director of the Trump White House’s Domestic Policy Council and a senior advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Another co-host is Gary Cooper, chairman at Cooper Steel Inc.

The DNC according to James Carville

Posted on by Jeremy Alford

Approaching age 80, James Carville — the Democratic Party’s own Ragin’ Cajun — is preparing for the release of a documentary about his life’s work, reflecting on his decision to ask President Joe Biden to step down and embracing an age where he can “say anything I want.”

CHICAGO (Aug. 19, 2024) — Here comes James Carville.

Tall and thin. An unmissable head attached to an unstoppable mouth. Animated and kinetic. All worthy of lampoon on “Saturday Night Live.”

He moves up the street like someone who was reared in a place where grilled alligator is a tailgate staple at football games and Mardi Gras is a school holiday. Where redfish and catfish are caught with patience and coolers of beer are chased with stories that are at best downright lies, or at worst entertaining.

The man moves without care. Paid speeches, bestselling books, successful campaigns and a never-ending string of television and podcast appearances all pad his footing. The critics who call him out of touch or desperate for attention further float his stride.

Clad in his United States Marine Corps Semper Fi baseball cap and a purple-and-gold Louisiana State University hoodie, he has two old friends in tow. The destination is an Italian restaurant, Rosebud on Rush. That’s where the crush of political celebrity begins.

James Carville fields calls at Rosebud in Chicago. (Credit: Jeremy Alford)

From passersby on East Superior Street to those already seated inside, there are nods of recognition and outstretched hands and remarks about forgotten campaigns. Carville has certainly come a long way since forging floor passes at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. (We’ll get to that later.)

The Ragin’ Cajun is clearly in his element, among his people. It’s the first day of the 2024 Democratic Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, which also happens to be the birthday of former President Bill Clinton. Carville served as the lead strategist for Clinton’s unforgettable 1992 White House run, and ever since their respective stories have been intertwined. Later that night, Carville was planning to attend a reunion of the ’92 team. 

One of the major storylines of this convention, however, is Carville’s relationship with President Joe Biden. Months ago, before the chorus grew louder, Carville called for Biden to step aside. From the moment he was standing practically alone on this appeal to the day Biden announced he wouldn’t seek reelection, Carville has enjoyed a resurgence of media impressions. 

Continue reading “The DNC according to James Carville”

New election rule gives officials time to probe, delay ballot counts before certifying results

Posted on by Tammy Joyner

County election officials now have greater scrutiny to investigate and delay ballot counts before certifying election results.

The Republican-controlled State Election Board passed a rule Monday granting the additional authority to county election boards. The 3-2 vote enables local election officials to do a hand recount of votes to make sure the number of ballots cast does not exceed the number of people who voted.

State Election Board Chair John Fervier, who voted against the ruling, said the certification process needs “guardrails” which the new rule does not have. Fervier is concerned that the ruling allows for “unlimited search for documents” during the certification process that could delay election results. 

“I’ve always believed there needs to be guardrails around that process,” Fervier, a vice president at Waffle House, said. “I’ve stated that many times, and this rule does not provide any guardrails for that process.”

Continue reading “New election rule gives officials time to probe, delay ballot counts before certifying results”

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