.
. >>
. >> WELCOME BACK TO FLASHPOINT. THIS FALL SIX MINUTES WILL
APPEAR ON THE BALLOT TYPICALLY
APPEAR WITH THE SHORT CAPTION
DESCRIBING WHAT THE AMENDMENT
IS ABOUT.
USUALLY THIS IS DONE BY
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
PUBLICATION COMMISSION.
A THREE-MEMBER PANEL, TWO
DEMOCRATS, ONE REPUBLICAN.
AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN
RALEIGH, A SPECIAL SESSION
CALLED THIS WEEK, THEY MET TO
WRITE THOSE EXPLAINERS,
SOMETHING THE COMMISSION HAD
DONE IN THE PAST.
SUMMER CONTROVERSIAL, THE
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE SAID
THEY WANT TO OVERSEE THE
WORDING TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE
NOT IN ANY WAY SEEMING TO BE
ANTIREPUBLICAN SINCE IT IS RUN
BY TWO DEMOCRATS.
I KNOW YOU WANT TO JUMP IN,
HAVE ADDED.
>> I THINK THIS WAS A REALLY,
REALLY SAD OCCURRENCE AT THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS
PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEY
ARE VOTING ON WHEN YOU ARE
DOING SOMETHING THAT IS A BIG
DEAL, CHANGING OUR
CONSTITUTION.
CHANGING OUR RIGHTS, IN SOME
CASES TAKING AWAY RIGHTS FROM
PEOPLE AND RESTRICTING RIGHTS.
MY PHILOSOPHY IS WHEN IT COMES
TO WHAT WE DO IN RALEIGH, WE
SHOULD TRY TO BE AS TRANSPARENT
AS POSSIBLE. I
DID WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THE
SESSION UNTIL ABOUT 22 HOURS
BEFORE HAPPENS.
IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR A LOT
OF PEOPLE TO GET THERE AND A
LOT OF PEOPLE WEREN'T.
WE DID KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WOULD
COME UP.
THIS CAME UP AND ALSO A BILL
CHANGING JUDICIAL ELECTIONS
CAME UP.
THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO RUN A
GOVERNMENT, NOT THE WAY TO RUN
CHAMBERS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE
WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN
TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IN THE
STATE HAS A CHANCE TO MAKE
THEIR VOICE HEARD IN 22 HOURS
IS NOT ENOUGH TIME.
>> YOU HEAR ALL THE TIME
ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
REPUBLICANS HAVE A SUPER
MAJORITY CAN DO AS THEY WISH.
I WOULD SAY, TRY TO BE DEVILS
ADVOCATE AND SEE THIS DOWN THE
MIDDLE, IF YOU CHANGE THE RULES
OR LAWS, HAVE ADDED.
YOU ARE -- HAVE AT IT, YOU ARE
IN CONTROL.
THE PROBLEM IS PEOPLE HAVE
CHANGING ELECTION LAWS IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE ELECTION SEASON
ALREADY.
MAY BE OFF-SEASON OR AFTERWARDS
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT BUT
ACTUALLY WHILE IT IS PLAYING
OUT.
>> I THINK THE ONE ABOUT THE
JUDICIAL ELECTIONS, IN MY
OPINION I FIND TO BE VALID.
SOMETHING SUSTAINABLE WHICH IS
WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER
POTENTIALLY GOOD LEGISLATION.
IF IT SUSTAINS AND OVER TO IN
THE SUPER MAJORITY OR IF THE
DEMOCRATS GAIN MAJORITY AT SOME
POINT BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED WAS
EVERY INDICATION POINTS THAT
THE DEMOCRATS HAD CONVINCED AN
INDIVIDUAL TO BE CANNON FODDER
IN THE GENERAL ELECTION FOR --
TO STILL VOTES AWAY FROM ANOTHER
JUDICIAL INCUMBENT.
>> THE REPUBLICANS DECIDED TO
CHANGE ALL OF OUR JUDICIAL FROM
NONPARTISAN TO PARTISAN.
NOW THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED AND
THERE ARE MORE REPUBLICANS IN
PARTICULAR RACE THAN DEMOCRATS,
THEY WANT TO CHANGE IT JUST FOR
ONE PERSON OR A COUPLE OF
PEOPLE OR A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS IT
DEMOCRATS DID IT ON OUR SIDE
ABOUT PEOPLE ON YOUR SIDE OF
THE AISLE WILL BE SCREAMING
LADY MURDER ABOUT IT AND HAVE
EVERY RIGHT TO DO SO BECAUSE
THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO DO
THINGS.
YOU DON'T CHANGE THINGS IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE ELECTION.
WE DON'T CHANGE THE RULES IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE
NEED TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE ARE
UP THERE, WE ARE DOING THINGS
THAT ACTUALLY ALLOW EVERYONE TO
HAVE A SAY.
THIS BILL CAME OUT LITERALLY
WHERE WE HAD ABOUT 20-30
MINUTES TO READ IT OURSELVES.
BEFORE VOTING ON IN THE HOUSE.
THAT IS NOT ANY WAY TO RUN A
CHAMBER.
UNACCEPTABLE.
CHAMBER. UNACCEPTABLE. >> FOR FOLKS A HOME, THE SECRET
ABOUT LAWMAKING AT THE STATE
LEVEL OR CITY LEVEL OR COUNTY
LEVEL, WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE,
THE AMOUNT OF STUFF YOU ARE
EXPECTED TO GO THROUGH AND READ
AT THE LAST MINUTE AND VOTE AND
MAKE THESE DECISIONS.
IT IS RIDICULOUS.
IT HAPPENS THAT EVERY LEVEL,
FEDERAL LEVEL TOO.
>> WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS IF WE
ARE GOING TO BE HONEST ABOUT
WHERE WE ARE AS A STATE, WE
NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB HAVING
EVERYBODY AT THE TABLE, HAVING
THIS ABSOLUTE SUPER MAJORITY IS
NOT GOOD.
A LOT OF THINGS -- A LOT OF
PEOPLE ARE DOING THINGS WITH
IMPUNITY.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY BECAUSE
THE STATE IS A. STATE FAIRLY
EVENLY SPLIT.
SOME SAY NOT EXACTLY
REPRESENTED PERFECTLY.
>>> DECISION ON THE
CONTROVERSIAL I 77 TOLL LANES
COULD COME IN THE NEXT FEW
WEEKS.
GOVERNOR COOPER SAYS THE STATUS
OF DISCUSSIONS WITH CINTRA
ABOUT THE CONTRACT, THE
COMPANY, SUPPOSED TO WRAP UP BY
THE END OF THE YEAR BUT HE HAS
BEEN CONTROVERSIAL WORKING YEARS
OF's -- YEARS OF DEBATE.
>> THE CONTRACT WAS
COMPLICATED.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OPTIONS THAT
COST VARYING AMOUNTS OF MONEY
ON THE TABLE.
>> OPTIONS INCLUDE THE STATE BY
NOT THE ENTIRE CONTRACT FROM
CINTRA OR ALLOWING CINTRA TO
OPERATE THE PROJECT OF PAYING A
PENALTY FOR KEEPING ONE NEW
LANE A FREELING.
THE GOVERNOR DIDN'T HINT AT
WHICH WE THE STATE WAS LEANING
BUT HE DID INDICATE THERE WOULD
BE A CHANGE.
DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING?
>> HAVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND
THIS IS GOING TO REDISTRICT.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THIS
CONTRACT HAS BEEN BAD FROM THE
BEGINNING.
WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN
TO CHANGE IT.
I'M GLAD THE GOVERNOR AND DOT
ARE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT .
>> THIS REMINDS ME OF THE
R.N.C.
CONVERSATION A FEW MINUTES AGO.
A FEW PEOPLE EARLY IN THE DAY
COMPLAINING ABOUT BUT IT WAS TOO
LATE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE STARTED TYPING
UP AND .
>> THE BIG DIFFERENCE A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP DID
CHANGE.
EXAMPLE