Carolina Journal Exclusives

Rhetorical Bullets Fly As House Committee OKs Abortion Bill

Measure on fast track, now moves to House floor

By David N. Bass

May 12, 2011

RALEIGH — Is pregnancy punishment? Is the process of getting an abortion comparable to refinancing a mortgage? Do abortion providers disproportionately target African-American women? Those were some of the questions bandied about for two hours Wednesday morning before a House judiciary subcommittee gave its stamp of approval to a contentious informed-consent abortion bill.

The legislation — House Bill 854, Abortion-Woman’s Right to Know Act — passed by a party line 9-5 vote and now goes to the House floor. Republicans have enough support in both chambers to pass it, although a veto from Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue is likely.

Among other components, the proposed law would require a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion, an ultrasound image of the unborn child, and notarized parental consent for a minor’s abortion. Pro-lifers say the bill would save thousands of unborn lives each year. (more…)

JOHN HOOD’S DAILY JOURNAL

By John Hood

March 30, 2011

RALEIGH – With all due respect to my right-leaning friends who are diehard NC State or UNC fans, they should not let their affection for their favorite sports mascots obscure a deeper truth about themselves: they have little in common with wolves or sheep.

Conservatives are cat people. They are picky. They are fastidious. And they are impossible to herd.

That’s not to say that conservatives can’t be dog lovers, as long as they don’t let their personal preferences in pets cloud their analogical judgment (this will make more sense if you read each link in order). But when it comes to political behavior, conservatives are more feline than they are canine, ovine, bovine, or equine. They don’t run in packs or amble in herds. (more…)

Carolina Journal Exclusives

NCGA Preview: Week of February 7

Balanced Budget Act, health care exclusion set for votes this week

By Anthony Greco

February 07, 2011

RALEIGH – Unlike previous sessions, where it might take weeks for legislation to reach a final vote in one legislative house and move to the other, the 2011 General Assembly is off to a quick start. Two high-profile bills are expected to cross over to their second chamber this week — one tackling the state’s estimated $3.4-billion deficit, the other putting formally North Carolina in opposition to the Obama administration’s federal health care reforms.

The House is expected to take up Senate Bill 13, Balanced Budget Act of 2011, and the Senate is expected to begin debating House Bill 2, Healthcare Freedom Protection Act.

The balanced budget act attracted the most controversy last week. The bill would give Gov. Bev Perdue additional authority to redirect nearly $800 million in unspent money appropriated for this fiscal year. She has agreed to divert at least $400 million. Perdue and other Democrats have resisted taking money away from economic incentive funds like Golden LEAF, One North Carolina, and Job Development Investment Grants. Republican leaders say shifting the unspent money to the General Fund would not affect job creation.

S.B. 13 passed its initial floor vote, 30-18, along party lines. Senators must take a final vote on the bill before sending it to the House (more…)