Power Play was not their Finest Hour | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Power plays are seldom pretty. Republicans have the political power in our state, but just because you have power doesn't mean you have to use it. The wise and judicious use of power has become as rare as the proverbial hen's tooth.

    The overreach of the legislature in stripping the Executive Branch of power was wrong, just as it was wrong when Democrats did it when they ran state government. I, among many, am on record for having opposed power grabs then, and am equally opposed to them today.

    What is mystifying is why Pat McCrory, who sued the legislature and won in court when lawmakers overstepped their authority, should sign the recently passed legislation into law. McCrory had three options. He could have vetoed the bills and would have been compelled to called lawmakers back into session to possibly override his veto. They would likely have done so, but at least he could leave office attempting to uphold the balance of powers our founders envisioned. He could have done nothing, neither signing the bills into law nor vetoing them, in which case the legislation would have sat for the requisite 30 days before automatically becoming law. During that time period a new governor would have been sworn into office and it is certain Roy Cooper would have vetoed the bills. His veto would most likely have been overridden, but McCrory's legacy in opposition to weakening the executive branch would have been consistent.

    By signing these bills quickly into law the governor took the easiest way out, just as when he signed HB2 into law. We've heard all kinds of explanations why he lost his job, but no one will convince me that HB2 wasn't the tipping point with many voters.

    Despite the rhetoric we heard coming from the legislative building last week, the power of North Carolina's governor is and has been among the weakest among the states. We finally allowed our chief executive the power of the veto to help balance the scales vis-a-vis the legislative branch, but there can be little doubt, whether right or just correct, The General Assembly has more power.

    Look for more lawsuits to come, especially a challenge to the stripping of the duties and responsibilities of the State Board of Education. Article IX, Section 4 (2) of our Constitution says, "The State Board of Education shall supervise and administer the free public school system and the educational funds provided for its support...and shall make all needed rules and regulations in relation thereto, subject to laws enacted by the General Assembly." It further says, "The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be the secretary and chief administrative officer of the State Board of Education." It will be interesting to see how the courts view the recent actions, but our current legislature doesn't have a good record in court decisions.

    As stated earlier, power grabs are never pretty. The recently passed legislation makes legislative leaders look like a bunch of power hungry, sore-tailed losers. As a lifelong North Carolinian I have always hoped those in power would thoughtfully and judiciously use it to the betterment of all.

    Our Republican legislature has done some good things since taking control of government. This, however, was not their finest hour.

    Publisher's note: Tom Campbell is former assistant North Carolina State Treasurer and is creator/host of NC SPIN, a weekly statewide television discussion of NC issues airing Sundays at 11:00 am on WITN-TV. Contact Tom at NC Spin.