Free Republic

State legislators have gone home. That's a good thing.The session began in May with much hope that with better economic times, lawmakers would seize the opportunity to give taxpayers a much-needed break and repeal the "temporary" taxes enacted during the 2001 recession. Many hoped that the General Assembly would also seize the opportunity to adopt a constitutional amendment protecting property owners from eminent domain abuse. Instead, the General Assembly made half-hearted attempts to appease taxpayers and property owners. Lawmakers trimmed back those tax increases, but wouldn't eliminate them altogether. As far as protecting property, the General Assembly repealed legislation that...

ADF Halts NC Gifted Program's End Run Around Parental Notification Under Litigation Threat, Governor's School Drops Plan to Show Teens Graphic Film (AgapePress) - The prestigious Governor's School of North Carolina (GSNC), a six-week residential summer program for academically and intellectually gifted high school students, is once again being accused of introducing sexually-oriented material to young people without their parents' knowledge. The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a nationwide pro-family legal defense alliance, reports that the GSNC was preparing to show students the sexually explicit film, American History X, as part of a "Race and Film" series, but decided not to...

In their second Republican primary battle for the 10th District state House seat, Willie Ray Starling of Mount Olive finished with a nine-vote edge over incumbent Rep. Stephen LaRoque of Kinston, according to unofficial results.Although LaRoque defeated Starling in his home county of Lenoir 731-494 votes, the margin of victory was not enough to overcome Starling’s victories in both Greene and Wayne counties. That scenario was the same as two years ago, except for the winner. The final tally Tuesday gave Starling 906 votes and LaRoque, 897.“I’m ecstatic, but it’s not over until the fat lady sings,” Starling said...

KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. --North Carolina retailers raked in an estimated $10 million Thursday, the first day of the state lottery. But that doesn't sway Robert Arey, who has no desire to sell the tickets at the 15 convenience stores he owns in the Charlotte region. "You work for what you get," said Arey, who runs the One Stop Food Stores. "You don't win it." Arey said he is morally opposed to the lottery, which he calls a "poor tax," and he doesn't expect his decision to cost him money. In fact, he said, his stores in South Carolina actually saw...

Sen. John McCain of Arizona is the early 2008 presidential leader in North Carolina, according to a Civitas Institute poll. The institute conducted a telephone poll of 800 voters in the state.McCain was the leader among possible Republican candidates with 31 percent of those surveyed. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards led the list of possible Democratic contenders with 24 percent of those surveyed.Civitas President Jack Hawke said, “Edwards’ figures may also be inflated by the fact that the poll was conducted among North Carolinians, as opposed to voters from across the nation. It is interesting that an Arizona senator...

Last Friday I had the privilege of speaking to the Republican Women's Club of Chapel Hill. The topic: What Republicans Must Do To Win in 2006. While I won't share any major trade secrets in this forum, I will share a few of my thoughts on what [the NC GOP] must [do] to be successful this year. First and foremost, [Republicans] must Get Out The Vote. This is such an obvious, "Politics 101" statement that it almost goes without saying. [The] GOTV (get-out-the-vote) effort is especially important in 2006 given that, for the first time since 1994, North Carolina will...

As is often the case, (Jan 8, 2006) the Charlotte Observer carried an interesting article that left out significant facts. Still, I have to give Jack Betts some credit for even admitting the fact that his employer, the Charlotte Observer, along with the Raleigh News and Observer and the Wilmington paper, provided much of the impetus for the racist campaign that led to the "Wilmington Riot" and brought the Democratic Party to power at the end of the 1800's, a power they have held ever since. Since few people have even heard of the "Wilmington Riot," permit me to quickly...

(snip).... Under the proposal, the state would absorb the counties' Medicaid expenses. In return, the state would take all revenue from a 1-cent sales tax known as the Article 39 sales tax. Revenue from that tax currently goes to counties and municipalities. Forsyth County, and other large counties with substantial retail bases, oppose the proposal because the revenue they get from the 1-cent sales tax is greater than the amount they pay for Medicaid. In the 2005-06 fiscal year, Forsyth County budgeted $32 million in revenue from the sales tax and $15 million in Medicaid expenses. Because there was no...

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina can take on more than $214 million in new debt annually for the next 10 years and remain financially sound, the state treasurer said in a report Thursday. The report from State Treasurer Richard Moore recommends a 4 percent ratio of debt service to state revenues as a prudent target debt level, or $214.4 million a year for each of the next 10 years. The figures are part of his yearly debt affordability study, given to Gov. Mike Easley and legislators. Last year's study recommended no new debt for the next three years given a...

Biggest Bonehead Political Move of 2005 Chris Mintz’ defection to the Democrat Party by Frank Williams -- December 14, 2005 Last week, someone I have known for quite some time made one of the most bizarre political moves I have seen during my more than ten years as a Republican activist. Chris Mintz, a Raleigh resident who was Chairman of the Wake County Republican Men’s Club for part of this year, earns my nod for the Biggest Bonehead Political Move of 2005. The fact that I served as Vice Chairman of the Wake County Republican Men’s Club until Chris’ abrupt...

WASHINGTON - Citing national security, GOP Rep. Sue Myrick of Charlotte introduced legislation Wednesday that would deny North Carolina $870 million in federal highway money unless it stops issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. Specifically, Myrick's bill would target six states that still accept taxpayer ID numbers -- issued by the Internal Revenue Service -- as proof of identity or residence by persons seeking a driver's license. Besides North Carolina, Myrick's office said, those states are West Virginia, Illinois, Utah, New Mexico and Kentucky. But Myrick, who is looking at a possible run for governor in 2008, led off her...

A judge today dismissed a lawsuit prompted by outcry over the inability of Muslims to be sworn in Guilford County courts using the Quran, a lawyer in the case said. In throwing out the case, Superior Court Judge Donald L. Smith decided that no controversy existed because the plaintiff was still able to affirm she could truthfully testify despite not being allowed to swear on the Quran, attorney Seth Cohen said. The plaintiffs in the case were the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina and Greensboro Muslim Syidah Mateen. The defendant was the state of North Carolina because the...

Greg Dority will run for the NC 3rd District If he runs for re-election, Congressman Walter Jones will face Conservative GOP Primary opposition. Long whispered grumblings among conservative GOP activists, frustrated by their perception of an ineffective state Party and its “elite” state and national leaders, whom they also believe to be indifferent to their concerns for the nation and their ideology, is certain to bloom into a full-fledged populist revolt drawing state, national and perhaps international attention. In an exclusive interview late Friday, former NC 1st District GOP congressional nominee Greg Dority told me he will run for Congress...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Authorities say an illegal immigrant was intoxicated Friday morning when his vehicle slammed into two others on Interstate 485. Jorge Hernandez, 35, is accused of driving more than 100 mph on the wrong side of the highway. His Ford Expedition collided head on with another vehicle, police said. "The crash last night was a severe impact," said Trooper Brian Huffstickler of the North Carolina Highway Patrol. "It was probably one of the worst crashes we've ever seen." The driver of the other vehicle, 18-year-old Min Soon Chang, was killed. Hernandez was injured, as was Tasha Beth Thomas,...

North Carolina's concealed handgun law, which becomes 10 years old next month, has worked well. Even gun-control advocates concede that point.Now one gun-rights group - Grass Roots North Carolina - hopes the law will be expanded so that people with concealed handgun permits will have fewer restrictions on where they can carry their weapons. We think that there is some merit in the organization's idea. For example, the group's president recently suggested that permit-holders should be allowed to carry their weapons in public parks. It would provide protection for joggers from potential attackers. Gun-control advocates would likely balk at this...

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A man was executed early Friday by lethal injection for the 1990 stabbing death of his wife, despite the pleas of his four children who sought clemency for their father. Elias Syriani, 67, was pronounced dead at 2:12 a.m. EST, said Pam Walker, a spokeswoman for the state Correction Department. Gov. Mike Easley on Thursday had denied clemency, saying in a statement that he found "no convincing reason to grant clemency and overturn the unanimous jury verdict affirmed by the state and federal courts." Syriani was convicted in the death of his 40-year-old wife, Teresa, who...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Two more former employees were indicted Tuesday in a multi-million dollar fraud investigation involving the Wake County Public School System's transportation department, just weeks after three other suspects in the case pleaded guilty to related charges. Angela Malloy-Sanders and Pamela Stewart were charged with accessory after the fact in the suspected scheme to funnel millions of taxpayers' dollars. According to the indictments, they lied to investigators to cover up the fraud. Investigators said the two women began cooperating in the investigation months ago and have agreed to pay back the money they are accused of taking. Malloy-Sanders...

GASTONIA, N.C. -- North Carolina regulators have approved an 11 percent hike in natural gas rates for PSNC Energy, the company said Monday. PSNC Energy, a subsidiary of SCANA Corp., serves more than 400,000 customers in 28 counties in North Carolina. PSNC is headquartered in Gastonia.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Speaker Jim Black on Friday named 20 House members to a study committee that will examine how the death penalty is carried out in North Carolina. The panel also will recommend possible changes to the law for the General Assembly to consider during its session next spring. Reps. Joe Hackney, D-Orange, and Beverly Earle, D-Mecklenburg, will co-chair the House Select Study Committee on Capital Punishment. (snip) Committee members also plan to consult with representatives of victims and law enforcement during their study, Black's office said. The panel, comprised of 13 Democrats and seven Republicans, will include at...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina students had a little trouble with their reading skills, with scores on achievement tests dropping slightly in a national measure of student performance released Wednesday. Nearly 40 percent of fourth-graders and 31 percent of eighth-graders performed below a basic level of proficiency in reading, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. But math scores held steady for both grade groups, and the North Carolina students generally performed at or slightly better than the national average in both subjects. "The trendline for North Carolina students is positive in mathematics. This year we held...