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State Senator Marc Basnight is crisscrossing the State in hopes of retaining his power as the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. As polling increasingly shows that the Republicans will take control of the Senate, Basnight is spending his vast war chest to help incumbent Democrat Senators keep their seats. A Republican majority in the Senate means new Senate leadership and with it, a marginalized role for Democrats who have controlled that body for over 100 years. A GOP majority in the Senate could spell doom for Dare County if they elect a Democrat Senator. In remarks to the Washington...

Senator Julia Boseman’s behavior was described as “unbecoming a State Senator” by several members of the General Assembly, while attending an event hosted by Rep. Karen Ray. The event was held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Sen. Julia Boseman attended in her legislative capacity. Several of the legislators in attendance have spoken with The North Carolina Conservative and expressed their embarrassment and anger at being present while Sen. Julia Boseman and her partner (a younger woman) engaged in intimate physical displays while in the presence of others.Many of the legislators were accompanied by their children...

Aug 2, 2005 : 9:26 pm ET RALEIGH, N.C. -- Democrats worked Tuesday to settle differences over pay raises, cigarette taxes and a lottery so they can close a budget deal for state government. House and Senate Democrats, who hold a majority in the Legislature, met privately for much of the past three days -- in caucus meetings, negotiation sessions and one-on-ones between House Speaker Jim Black and Senate leader Marc Basnight. "We're getting closer on these things," said Black, D-Mecklenburg. Legislative leaders want to have their final $17 billion spending blueprint for this year by late Wednesday. The new...

(snip)In January 2003, Decker, who was among the furthest right (barf) Republicans, switched his registration to Democratic and announced he would vote for Black for speaker. That meant that a 61-59 Republican advantage slipped into a 60-60 tie. Here's where history is now being distorted. Reporters and bloggers have said two historically inaccurate things. One was that Decker's party switch is the root of the power-sharing arrangement. The second is that Decker ignited the civil war that still rages in the Republican Party regarding former Republican House Co-Speaker Richard Morgan. (snip)Here's why that's wrong: The Republicans couldn't get 61 votes...

RALEIGH -- A key state senator ordered Bibles, hymnals and a cross removed from the Legislative Building's nondenominational chapel but was overruled Thursday when his decision threatened a cultural and political spat. State Sen. Tony Rand last week had staffers box up the religious material because other legislators complained that the chapel's Christian emphasis was inappropriate in a public building used by people of different faiths. Rand is chairman of the Senate Rules Committee and shares oversight of the building with his House counterpart. Senate leader Marc Basnight, also a Democrat, reversed Rand's order after complaints from Republican lawmakers and...

February 4, 2005: FINDING RELIGION: Senate Rules Committee chair Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, ordered Christian Bibles and hymnals and a cross removed from the Legislative Building's nondenominational chapel, but was reversed by Senate leader Marc Basnight when the decision became public, The News & Observer reports. Rand, who is also the Senate majority leader, said the items' Christian emphasis is inappropriate in a public building used by people of different faiths. The small, mostly unadorned chapel off the rotunda between the House and Senate chambers is open to legislators, staff and visitors who wish to use it for prayer or reflection....

North Carolina General AssemblySenator Phil Berger, Office of the Republican Leader, North Carolina Senate 1121 Legislative Building, Raleigh, NC 27601 (919) 733-5708 North Carolina Senate Republican Caucus NOTE: According the Rules of the Senate of North Carolina (2005), any Member, with the permission of the Presiding Officer, at the end of the days' calendared business, may address the Body for up to three minutes on a "moment of personal privilege." The only topics restricted are remarks about specific persons or about any specific piece of legislation. On Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005, Senator Robert Pittenger asked and was given permission...

Raleigh – Jan. 26. As has been reported in the Charlotte Observer, and elsewhere, changes made in the Rules governing the state Senate, upon the opening of the 2005 Session, have raised some eyebrows. Democrat leaders appear to be providing cover for their embattled conservative Senators without causing a revolt among liberals. Maintaining a ban on laptop computers and banning smoking in the Senate Chamber grabbed more attention as Democrat leaders changed the way the Senate does business in fundamental ways. Even greater power over the Senate agenda has been placed in the hands of Rules Committee chairman Sen. Tony...

A resolution by Bill Culpepper to elect Jim Black as Speaker, and Richard Morgan as Speaker pro tem, has been adopted by the House by a vote of 100 yeas to 20 nays. The resolution also allows for the Speaker Pro Tem to appoint certain committee chairs in consultation with the Speaker. Also, Marc Basnight was re-elected to a seventh term as Senate President Pro Tem by unanimous voice vote.

Last updated: January 15. 2005 12:02PM The state's second-most-powerful Democrat says fellow party member Britt Cobb should concede defeat in the still unresolved race for agriculture commissioner. "I personally believe that the people have already settled it - that they voted for (Steve) Troxler and he should be commissioner," Senate president pro tem Marc Basnight told the Winston-Salem Journal. Cobb trails Troxler, a Republican, by 2,287 votes out of more than 3.3 million cast. But because a voting machine error in Carteret County resulted in 4,438 ballots being lost, the State Board of Elections has twice ordered new elections. Both...

Raleigh – Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger has criticized as “purely partisan” and “political gamesmanship” a decision by the State Board of Elections to hold a new statewide election for Commissioner of Agriculture. “While I’m confident Steve Troxler would prevail in a special election,” Berger said, “a new statewide election will be expensive and is unlikely to draw as much attention as the November race. The three and a half million North Carolinians who voted in the Commissioner of Agriculture race in November deserve to have their votes counted. North Carolina elected a new Agriculture Commissioner who should be allowed...

V I G I L / Time and PlaceNC House and Senate Redistricting Session meets 9:30 a.m. Monday, 24 NovemberVIGIL BEGINS AT 8:30 A.M. but folks should come whenever they can. If it's later, they may want to call 218-5071 or 805-9718 for updates and learn if the GA is still in session.Location Legislative Building - front entrance 16 West Jones Street, Raleigh - Call 919-786-2438 or 805-9718 for updates. MISSION STATEMENT We, the Grassroots Republicans, call on ALL legislators to vote for fair and constitutional redistricting plans. These plans will "level the playing field" for Republicans for the decade....

<p>RALEIGH, N.C. -- State lawmakers will hold meetings next week to hear from the public on the next version of legislative districts to be drawn.</p> <p>Both the House and Senate will hold public hearings Nov. 20 in Raleigh.</p> <p>The General Assembly is redrawing legislative districts for the third time in as many years after North Carolina courts ruled two sets of previous maps unconstitutional.</p>

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North Carolina Republican Senate Caucus Senator Patrick J. Ballantine, Office of the Minority LeaderNorth Carolina Senate, 1127 Legislative Building, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601, (919) 715-2525 patrickb@ncleg.netSenate Democrats add taxes to temporary spending bill  Raleigh: June 19 - North Carolina Senate Democrats voted to add increased taxes, Thursday, to a stop-gap spending resolution designed to continue state government operations beyond June 30. This first ‘continuing resolution’ dampened earlier optimism that a full budget would be approved in time for the beginning of the new fiscal year July 1. Senate Republicans voted together against the continuing resolution after Democrats rejected a...

Raleigh –Senate Democrats have presented a state budget that includes new spending and $1.1 Billion in new taxes. Senate Republicans unanimously stood against tax increases and offered numerous amendments to offset new taxes.“These are common sense alternatives to tax increases,” said Senate Republican Leader Patrick Ballantine, R-New Hanover. “It keeps promises, rather than breaks promises.”The Senate Democrat spending plan includes income tax increases, a sales tax increase, a tax on food, a tax on candy, and a tax on soft drinks.The Democrat plan taxes children, and taxes married couples more than single adults living together, postponing tax relief measures due...

This week they will be three of the most powerful men in North Carolina as they help craft a state budget directing how billions should be spent. But in six months, the three Democratic leaders -- state Sens. Aaron Plyler, a Monroe contractor, Fountain Odom, a Charlotte lawyer, and Howard Lee, a Chapel Hill businessman --could be out of a job. The three Democrats are not alone. The new redistricting maps drawn by a Superior Court judge have cast doubt on whether Democrats can retain control of the General Assembly in November. And the maps give Republicans a historic opportunity....

By GARY D. ROBERTSON, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS RALEIGH, N.C. -- The state Board of Elections decided today to ask a federal court -- rather than the U.S. Justice Department -- to sign off on a state Supreme Court ruling that threw out new legislative districts. The 4-1 vote will result in a review by the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia to determine whether the April 30 ruling protects the rights of minority voters. Republican senators said Democrats pressured the board to send the order to a panel of three federal judges in the court. Senate leader...