Last month, a link took you to an in-depth analysis of political fundraising involved in the 2012 election of the 50 members of the NC Senate. Here’s the link for NC FreeEnterprise Foundation’s analysis of the NC House races in 2012, including the role of outside spending groups, a look at the hottest contests, and [...]
NC FreeEnterprise Foundation released a detailed, 10-page report analyzing the state Senate elections for 2012. It begins: “When Democrats held a majority in the North Carolina Senate, they routinely and significantly out-raised their Republican counterparts and wielded their financial advantage to frequently win hotly contested races in competitive districts and to ultimately maintain power. That [...]
The hearing has begun at this hour to consider a motion to approve or throw out the challenge to the redistricting plans adopted by the NC General Assembly. You can follow this today on the WRAL-TV web where the video of the hearing is streaming along. The arguments today are between the lawyers for the [...]
The US Supreme Court has announced it will hear arguments on February 27 in the case from Calera (Shelby County), Alabama, that challenges the pre-clearance provision (Section 5) of the federal Voting Rights Act. That’s the provision that allows the US Justice Department to step in and block changes in election procedures that will have [...]
Regardless of how you felt about who won the White House or State House, record levels of Big Money and new restrictions on voting played a bigger role in the 2012 election than you might imagine, according to this sweeping essay in The American Prospect magazine. As you might expect, North Carolina takes center stage [...]
Here’s a thorough analysis of how “mystery money” from secretive outside groups, mixed with extreme partisan redistricting, allows a handful of elitists to manipulate voters for political and economic riches. ProPublica examines how the process works at the national and state level, with North Carolina taking center stage. The story includes more revelations about the [...]
Scott Mooneyham, a veteran Associated Press reporter and now editor of the daily Insider report about NC politics, has written an important column about two factors that fuel overheated partisan politics – big money and gerrymandered political districts. Those factors need attention to give reasonable politicians a chance to survive polarizing posturing and wealthy narrow interests. [...]
A column from the John Locke Foundation points out that even though Republicans received only 51% of the votes cast in NC House contests, they won 64% or 77 of the 120 seats in that chamber of the General Assembly. A similar imbalance happened in the state Senate elections this year because of the way [...]
Students at Warren Wilson College are being treated as expendable voters in a concerted effort by Republicans to gain a majority on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. For years, students at the renowned liberal college have been registered as living at the campus’ main address (701 Warren Wilson Road), but after the latest redistricting, [...]
“If justice and fairness are to prevail, the integrity of the court's justices and the proceedings cannot be influenced by money or even have the appearance of being sold to the highest bidder. Whenever this possibility arises, we must call on the court to examine itself, and if necessary, recuse any justice or judge whose [...]