A significant number of legislators in Raleigh seem determined to help big political donors gut regulations and overturn state laws that protect consumers, public health and the environment. The poor state of accessible campaign finance data makes it difficult to track the pay-to-play culture, but Democracy North Carolina has highlighted the undue influence in several cases involving telecommunications firms, coastal landowners, and billboard companies. Despite promises by the new Republican leaders to cut the strings to big donors, each day seems to bring another proposal that benefits a group of private patrons at the expense of the common good. Even Republican strategist Carter Wrenn flogs Sen. Harry Brown (R-Onslow) for helping vacation homeowners with special-interest legislation that could cost taxpayers millions of dollars. (For more about Sen. Brown and coastal donors, see the charts with our report.)
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The focus of the legislature should be on cutting spending to avoid deficits, and to improve the economy to produce jobs. Other items of interest are safeguarding the voting process by requiring photo IDs, eliminating the Obamacare health plan and reducing the influence of unions.