LOD: Thumb’s Up, Down for Legs

Rep. Steve LaRoque’s home newspaper in Kinston got him to talk about the Policy Watch investigation of his use of two government-funded nonprofits to benefit himself, his family, and his political associates. The paper is owned by the Libertarian-leaning Freedom Communications chain, so it is noteworthy that the story didn’t end when LaRoque dismissed everything as a liberal conspiracy full of lies; indeed, the paper presented a balanced account and let Kinston readers hear from independent experts who added credibility to Policy Watch’s analysis of LaRoque’s inappropriate dealings. Meanwhile, House Speaker Thom Tillis received an award from the secretive American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) as one the nation’s “best legislators of the year.” Tillis and 31 other NC state legislators are attending the ALEC meeting in New Orleans, no doubt picking up more “model legislation” from the group, per our earlier account. The Sunshine Award that Democracy North Carolina recently presented to 22 legislators is also gaining attention in their hometown media (e.g., in Burlington, Fayetteville and Jacksonville). The award honors legislators for ”demonstrating respect for the public’s right-to-know through the superior quality of your campaign disclosure reports in the 2010 election.” The money chase is well underway for the 2012 cycle, with both state parties pulling in nearly half a million dollars in the first six months of 2011, most of it raised by their respective legislative caucuses. Whether you give the General Assembly a thumb’s up or down, money will be gushing at records levels for the 2012 showdown.