Vol. Fire depts. fume over political power play on state fire marshall | Eastern NC Now

Voluteer fire departments around the state are funing over the political power play over the state fire marshall, an official they depend upon in their work.  Establishment RINO Senate President pro tem Phil Berger is engaged in a political vendetta against conservative Repubican Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey and has been slipping in legislation to strip Causey of powers in furtherance of his petty personal political vendetta. The Insurance Commissioner has served as the state's fire marshall for many decades until Berger's legislation snatched it away from Causey.

Local state senator Jim Perry, also an establishment RINO is a close ally of Berger and has been helping Berger in his political vendetta against Causey.

Berger's vendetta originated with a special interest bill that Berger and Perry pushed earlier this legislative session to authorize non-profit health insurance provider Blue Cross to raid its own reserves and shift the money to a new for-profit entity.  Causey, standing up for North Caroiinians with health insurace policies, loudly opposed this legislation, pointing out that it would cause health insurance rates to go up and that if Blue Cross, as a non-profit, had built up excess reserves, they should be returned to policy holders.  This opposition to that special interest bill infuriated Berger and Perry and they have been on the warpath against Causey since.

https://dailyhaymaker.com/team-berger-ratchets-up-its-war-on-mike-causey/

The latest Berger legislative attack on Causey came in Senate bill 406 and the provisions were slipped in at the last minute.  Perry voted for those provisions.  When they came to the House, it was a day that Rep. Keith Kidwell was among those with an excused absence so he did not vote on it.  Apparently, many legislators were unaware that this Berger vendetta had been slipped into what was a lengthy bill on many topics.  Berger also snatched away the Insurance Commissiner's authority over Building Codes, which again has been a responsiblity of that department for many years.

Berger and Perry both have reputations of representing the special interests rather than their constituents.