Carolina Journal Radio No. 826: Cooper budget plan features teacher pay raise, bond, Medicaid expansion

From Cherokee to current attack and the largest city to the smallest and from the statehouse into the schoolhouse Carolina Journal radio your weekly news magazine discussing North Carolina's most public policy events and issues welcome to Carolina Journal radio I'm Ashoka during the next hour, Donna Martinez and I will explore some major issues affecting our state, a professor at North Carolina State University has investigated James Wilson's key role in development of the U.S. Constitution. You'll hear highlights from his research there is a debate in Raleigh between the state treasurer and North Carolina hospitals learn why this debate surrounds future payments from the state health plan, longtime conservative commentator William Kristol is heading to Davidson College in the fall during a recent trip to Davidson Crystal discussed key ethical issues in today's political landscape. Plus, you learn details of special elections scheduled in two North Carolina congressional districts.

Those topics are just ahead. First, Donna Martinez joins us with the Carolina Journal headline, Gov. Roy Cooper is proposing to spend $25 billion in his new state operating budget plan for the year that begins July 1 and despite the governors have frequent complaints about tax cuts that have been enacted by Republicans since 2011's operating budget plan. It doesn't try to undo those tax cuts just a couple of the things happening in this document that would set the course for North Carolina John Locke foundation Senior fellow Joe Colletti is studying the governor's plan.

He joins us now to talk about some of the details.

Joe welcome back to have a break from numbers yes walk into your office and your head is down, looking at all the documents gives your overall reaction to what the governor has proposed. First, its it's not much different from his previous proposals and that there is no chance that the Republican legislature is going to Pat is going to approve something that's that's close to what he's doing in the major major areas. The, the, you mentioned $25 billion. That's 5 1/2% increase in spending over last year, which is well above what we've been looking at in terms of keeping spending constant per person. Adjusting for inflation. In it, which is somewhere around three 3 1/2% this year and it's is even further above what the legislature and what the state is been spending it as it has been increasing spending on since 2011's been grown in about 2 1/2%. In this more than doubles that increase so that that's a significant thing and the other part of it is that as you mentioned, despite all the complaints the government does not increase taxes, which is a little bit of a difference from the last two years that so that is a sign that the economy is doing really well that they had some monies left over. Over the past two years and part of that is been revenues coming in above expectations, you can't really count on that in the future, but that is left him with a billion-dollar cushion to start this year that he's put half of that into reserves and is put half of that into one time for spending within the budget. Let's talk about how he plans to use all of that funding. First of all, Medicaid expansion is in the planned no big surprise there. The governor is a staunch supporter of the idea of expanding Medicaid through the affordable care act. So, tell us what is in the budget. What will that cost, how will he do this though. According to the governor in the in the budget document discussed state zero dollars out that that because they they will add new taxes on two providers in the very like hospital bills and others see it to the budget staff God always refers to just hospitals and so I don't know if that would be other providers as well but space. Specifically, hospitals have been mentioned and then there is as as Medicaid transitions from fee-for-service to managed-care. The managed-care organizations that are going to be those that goes in between organ in the been between step between the state and that an individual on Medicaid, the organist are paying a equivalent of premiums tax and some of that premium tax if the state expands Medicaid would then go back into pay the state share of Medicaid. So let's explain. For many of you about when we say Medicaid expansion.

First of all, the Medicaid program is a federal and state program designed to provide health coverage for vulnerable populations widows for low income folks disabled children and the governors expansion plan with at about half million people have million people to 2 million people currently on it.

The largest portion of recipients. Right now our children low income children most expensive populations on it are people in long-term care either the elderly or those with disabilities, and so that's who currently and currently it's a two to one match for the state and federal federal dollars to stay dollars new population which we mostly able-bodied adults and the governor keeps talking about working adults, but you don't have to be working to be able to qualify and so those new work. Able-bodied adults will be covered at an 90% federal match federal rate 10% state meeting hospitals new taxes in and so on that site if they're free, then that's a different set of things compared to the population we've been trying to cover and will likely mean that there's gonna be more emphasis placed on them because wealth are free. Anything that we do.

There doesn't cost the state any money and so that's that's part of the concern and and just the just the shell game that's going on there that governors claimed often that is not that there are no new taxes and is not raising taxes except for in this one place where it's a significant tax increase of 10% of $2 billion first year $200 million for 10% of $400 million for $4 billion, second year, $400 million.

So that's a lot of money that were asked in the hospitals in these new insurance providers to to step in and we know this can be a big debate going forward.

I'm over that for sure now is getting a lot of attention in the governor's proposed budget plan M.

Joe is a very big bond that he is proposing. Tell us how much you want for yesterday.

The governor is looking for $3.9 billion in borrowing, which is rumored in 2016. Not that long ago we passed North Carolinians approved a two billion-dollar connect and see bond governor is looking for $3.9 billion. What he's calling and invest in C bond and that would be $2 billion for public schools. $1 billion for universities and community colleges and another in the remainder of that would be for local water sewer projects and for the state zoo and the history Museum but but that's twice as much more than twice as much than what either the house and its bond proposal, or the Senate in its pay-as-you-go planner looking to spend. They talk about $2 billion total governors looking at 4 billion of nearly $4 billion in borrowing now Joe's you ticked off the different areas or entities that was would receive that funding should voters should this actually make it to the ballot and voters approved a $3.9 billion bond.

Many colleges and universities have didn't they just get a bunch of funding in the last bond. They were a significant part of the of the connect and see bond which is one of the things that has a number of us scratching our heads interesting. So that would be a case where voters would have to approve that would be on the ballot. Voters have to vote yes or no.

But you point out that in the governor's proposal proposal for the budget.

There's also some debt that we could be incurring without a vote of the people the others so $288 million of what they called limited obligation bonds. We use the there's all kinds of terms that could state is used for first that that's not been approved by the voters and the largest portion of this is gonna be to move the Department of Health and Human Services to Blue Ridge Rd. in Romanelli and right now the motor fleet is there is the state textbook where houses there are a few other buildings cross street from the Museum of Art, but that's a place that during the great ministration they're looking at insane.

This is this valuable property. We should sell it and instead were working abuse $250 million or so of this non-voter approved debt to move DHHS. The health department health and human services there and relocate to the other or state agencies governor has made a lot of the fact that he wants to spend a lot more money on the K-12 system and on teachers and he actually wants to close the door on a private voucher system known as the opportunity scholarship that for low income families. The closing the scholarship opportunities for future students really makes no sense.

They they say that is because the scholarships have been used less than anticipated, but it's a new program and take some start time and you are really taking away from the people who have the greatest need and whose state schools have been failing them so you're really making educational opportunity dependent on ZIP Code in income. Don't think you stay with us much more Carolina journal radio to come in just a moment government plays a key role in your life affecting your paycheck the way you educate your kids the way you do business. How can you tell if government is doing a good job making the right choices. Spending tax dollars wisely. Carolina journal.com tackles those questions every day. The John Locke foundation publishes Carolina journal in print each month and on the web each day@carolinajournal.com you'll find exclusive investigative reports on topics. No one else is covering what else a rundown of the best new stories, editorials and opinion columns in North Carolina.

John Hood's daily Journal news stories and important public events@carolinajournal.tv and the voices of the newsmakers themselves. Carolina journal radio in print on the air and on the web. You can find the information you need@carolinajournal.com welcome back to Carolina journal radio why Michiko guy. He doesn't get as much attention as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison were specially these days, Alexander Hamilton, but James Wilson was one of our nation's important founders in our next guest focuses attention on one of the most intriguing aspects of Wilson's thought. Dr. Jim Zink is associate professor in the school of Public and International affairs at North Carolina State University. He recently addressed the John Locke foundation's Shaftesbury Society on this the James Wilson and the moral psychology of American constitutionalism program that you have me so before we get into the moral psychology of American constitutionalism. First of all why focus attention on this particular founder James Wilson will, because, as you alluded to in the intro. There is really important got in both revolutionary and especially the founding era was one of only six people signed both the declaration of the Constitution. He was instrumental constitutional convention is an intricate language of the Constitution instrumental to Pennsylvania ratification convention.getting it ratified and he was Washington's first appointees to the Supreme Court so historically he's an important figure that he also offered or presented the series of flawed lectures that what is the current date. University of Pennsylvania Law school and it's this incredibly rich resource. Wide ranging discussion of human.human made sure of the constitutional theory, political theory that gives you this incredible window into the American political constitutional tradition as that tradition is beginning to coalesce and crystallize. So he's really rich resource for understanding what American constitutionalism is all about.

So we know a little bit more now about who James Wilson is what is it about his thought that you were particularly drawing attention to in this lecture gets this moral psychological dimension. What I call moral, psychological damage, which has to do with his views on how Constitution and the institutions it establishes can operate more or less directly on individuals in a way that not only constrains their vicious tendencies, but also reinforces those other regarding aspects of human nature and so it's his thoughts about how Constitution plays a serious role in citizen craft and help constant constituting people worthy of being sought to put it so we tend to think I think of a constitution as a law that's interpreted and enforced by the courts or less commonly, but is still the constitutional's perspective out there, as the Constitution is establishing this furtive separation of powers in establishing these agonistic institutional arrangements so unimportant part of the cost of our Constitution and sustaining the constitutional order is limiting government by setting up his competition among branches of government. In both of those perspectives.

They emphasize different aspects of American constitutionalism. They all focus on how Constitution acts on government would Wilson highlights his view and it's not just him, but it's but it's really important to him and waits for others to view the Constitution also has this relationship. In this effect within a real effect on the people. That's what stuck out to me both in reading his works.

We are chatting with Dr. Jim Zink, associate professor at NC State University.

That is kind of an interesting aspect of the Constitution to think you're right. Most people think of it as a legal document or something that stops the government from doing some things allows the government to do other things or protects our rights against the government, but Wilson, it sounds as if he actually looked it's Constitution is a way to help the people and help guide them toward a better way of acting right. And so he signs on all of that stuff about the Constitution is the supreme fundamental law Constitution establishing the separation of powers in both subjects and so but at the end of the day. He says the people are sovereign.

And it doesn't matter how clever your institutional arrangements are people are depraves your constitutional orders like elastin, so important part of crafting a constitution is to recognize that it biases citizens and if you have a good Constitution that biases the for the better. If you have a bad Constitution. It it makes the people worse and so he is very cognizant of this of how does this constitute what kind of citizens will this Constitution create. That was important question for him. That's why think is interesting what he think about the Constitution that we ended up with in terms of that that presentation did he say yes this is a good one that's going to lead to good citizens or did you have to start so he defended it vigorously and as I mentioned, he was instrumental getting it passed in Pennsylvania despite the fact that had many things they didn't like about he was in favor of direct popular election of the present is in favor proportional representation. Both chambers of Congress in favor of direct popular election of Senators were originally Senators were elected by state legislatures. He was a believer in the sovereignty of the people and had a very expansive conception of popular government. And so if he had to criticize. He also was opposed to the Bill of Rights for various reasons, but you know he if he had to criticize Constitution be on grounds it wasn't popular enough, didn't reflect sufficiently the sovereignty of the people, and in that again is why he emphasized so much. This idea of the Constitution organizing you know politics in the in a way that creates good citizens encourages good citizen habits.

Some people are going to be listening to us in saying this is all kind of interesting but what relevance does it have today in which we when you think of James Wilson and what he said about the Constitution which it people today take away from that. That's always a good question and I'm I tend to back away from these questions gives you the tendency is to serve transport people for Oviedo to think about in terms of James Wilson of 1787, bring them here today. James Wilson probably would've changed his life he lived. All this time, but generally, first of all, is simple. It is always important to try to understand the perspective from the filming, because we often make claims in contemporary politics about what the Constitution is what it means. And so it's always relevant for that purpose.

Understand that there these. There's this rich diversity in its important we speak about Constitution to understand that diversity that was the offer. I mean I think he he he actually is good for contemporary debates about rights is his argument against including the Bill of Rights important respects is relevant for contemporary debates about individual rights. We take these, I mean, there's a sense in which the fact that right is included in the Constitution becomes a trump card right and Wilson thought that's exactly what was problematic about Wilson's case for the Federal Republic in about the importance of how diversifies the citizenry is an important, always relevant conversation past and present iterations of the debate over how much diversity can a Republic sustain these are the kinds of questions that Wilson speaks to that never really go away and are very brief remaining time.

Does this idea of the Constitution as having an impact on the people and not just being a legal document.

Is that something we should still keep in mind to think about future it's you know he emphasize the written notice of Constitution document reform Constitution which is an American innovation in depend on how you define a written Constitution. But you know I think it's an American innovation and he thought that was typically important.

What is the Constitution serves as the touchstone for this comprehensive civic education professor Jim Zink at the school of Public and International affairs at North Carolina State University thanks you for having me a lot more on Carolina internal rate just a moment if you love freedom we got great news to share with you now. You can find the latest news, views, and research from conservative groups across North Carolina all in one place North Carolina conservative.com. It's one-stop shopping. North Carolina's freedom movement@northcarolinaconservative.com. You'll find links to John Locke foundation blogs on the days news Carolina journal.com reporting and quick takes Carolina journal radio interviews TV interviews featuring CJ reporters and let foundation analysts, opinion pieces and reports on higher education from the James Dean Martin, Center for academic renewal, commentary and polling data from the scimitar's Institute and news and views from the North Carolina family policy Council. That's right, all in one place North Carolina conservative.com that's North Carolina spelled out conservative.com North Carolina conservative.com.

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If you're interested in were $30 billion places you in the United States, according to pew research it pushes you right behind the state of Illinois in terms of severity of this problem. Now, no one why something about unfunded liabilities, life expectancies, and all these other issues, they wake up thing about how we can best educate our kids protect our citizens from crime pave our roads and all the other core functions of state government, but I can certify to you that unless we are able to take advantage of our largeness and give the state employees and the legislature. The prices that it deserves in healthcare across the state that money is going to be taken away for the next 20 years from things that you care about because every dollar that spent on healthcare unnecessarily is a dollar that can never be spent on education, public safety, or public roads. Not everyone is sold on Falwell's idea Republican state representative Josh Dobson understand that our current path is unsustainable. Nobody debates that I believe in transparency. I believe we should be as transparent as possible, but we still have to pay the bills.

In addition, in my view, that is a completely separate problem from the cuts to providers that are currently being discussed, many providers will not sign this 15% reduction contract so they will no longer take state employee insurance as a result, state employees will have to drive further and pay more for the same level of care and that's unacceptable to me.

Yes I do worry about the catastrophic consequences to hospitals. I'm not talking about the big systems in urban areas and talking points about how salaries I can't speak for them. I don't come from that area, but I can't speak for Valdez Hospital in Burke County, which will lose $7 million or Appalachian regional not exactly a big conglomerate which will lose $3 million McDowell Hospital, which will lose $600,000. We don't have that margin for error when you come from where I come from those hospitals are not just places to get care there. Part of the community and something we can be proud of and we can't afford to lose that, so I hope we can have a comprehensive strategy. I hope we can work together and come and find common ground that does not have unintended consequences that this has the potential to help you been listening to pros and cons of state treasurer Dale Falwell's proposal to change the state health plan term with four Carolina journal radio in a moment where doubling down on freedom at Carolina journal radio were proud to bring you stories that impact your life and your wallet. And now get twice as much freedom when you also listen to our podcast headlock available on iTunes and@johnlocke.org/podcast headlock is a little bit different.

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He discussed ethical issues where the biggest lessons from the of the Trump years is that we should be very grateful. America that we have limited government, the conservative message but I think a conservative message that's true that the president has limited powers that we have separation of powers to source work as well as it might put still exist especially the courts of with Congress now that one of the other party controls at least one house, but also be a federal system state governments and local governments can do things.

We have a huge private sector. Civil society universities and colleges, churches, lots of institutions which don't work for the government which aren't controlled by the government. Maybe we should have should be more careful about making sure they're not the purse strings are controlled by the government some cases.

For me this last these last couple years have been a real reeducation in the wisdom of the founders in creating horribly groundwork really for the creation of this incredibly robust I think set of institutions, private and public and nonprofit secular and religious – make it harder for one person. If he's wrong about a bunch of issues were responsible, reckless or written to McGoldrick to really trusted Venezuela terminus at Hungary or really do damage to most of these institutions.

Outsourcing debate how much damage has been done hasn't been done and how solid these institutions are and how much Hiroshima Creek afford, that's an interesting were his was a political science kind of historical question, but very much reminded of how grateful we should be to have this structure something we know nothing we did mostly split our predecessors did. A lot of them didn't really get much credit for it has suppose but you now realize how how my grateful, we should be for that. Crystal says American leaders face significant ethics questions now. There a lot of questions about those request for those who are custodians or institutions about their own ethical obligations.

I think those are not quite as easy as sometimes there presented and it's too easy to say don't resist everything. It's too easy to say hey just go on business as usual. It's not really your business to get in the way or to change what you're doing and I think is also further pointed leaders and institutions have maybe a special responsibility if the leaders of our most prominent institutions like the presidency aren't doing what they might be doing in terms of moral leadership of director Charlottesville is on TV panel. I can't receive interim some easy and it was the very familiar discussion already.

By August 2017 about Seo wise the present condemning as the present could do much more. The presence are natural leader, a moral leader in times of crisis.

Hope you will step up. Someone said I was getting a little exasperated so I said look, I don't believe is going to step up to the support of this point is find hope for it, but it's foolish for the rest of us to paralyze ourselves waiting for something to happen which is unlikely to happen in my judgment and I never say is we have a governor Virginia we have a mayor Charlottesville.

We have senators and congressmen have pastors and rabbis, and imams in recent and in and around Charlottesville and in Virginia we have civic leaders with business leaders. Plenty of people can step up, maybe none of them has the impact of the president, but that would make a big difference to what I think it was actually later ran into Gov. McAuliffe of Virginia, but, weirdly, was watching at this moment someone told him about it or sit in the clip or something and he said he actually MET with shredded influences behavior, but I think he appreciated since he himself was speaking of the notion that we don't look here in America for one person to sort of speak. You know the whole country that's William Kristol, conservative commentator and vocal critic of Pres. Donald Trump speaking recently at Davidson College Crystal reminded his audience that the American founders did more than just set up the mechanics of a well-functioning government we have a system here without her set up for intelligently checks and balances infection checking fraction, separation of powers free market where people compete. We don't rely too much on public spiritedness or on personal virtue here in America. The founders of famously hardheaded people. He would say cynical about it was only they looked around history and decided that James this had excessive hopes that just people would behave well because they should behave well. Those didn't last very long and easily taken over or weakened. We needed a more robust structure that dealt with human nature as it is not human nature as would wish it to be.

I think that is basically correct understanding of the founders certainly of Hamilton and Madison. The main authors of the Federalist papers papers is the way it's gotten. It's become such a cliché that it's gone too far in that direction and it is worth remembering that the founders also thought you do need some public spirited citizens.

Watch out for the whole country that not everything can just be no ambition to counteract ambition and in a big country, factions will check factions in a free market, people compete look at the optimal outcome. They also thought some measure of public spiritedness is necessary. I'll read actually couple sentences from Federalist 55 college if you have to read some classical texts you Madison says in the other federal 55 that you saying he was discussing the Senate that Congress the house and Madison walks the series of possible things a variety said at some point if everyone behaves horribly all these institutional checks that we built in six ureters senators presidential veto to two bodies that will check each other.

Representatives from different areas of summer possession state something the people all these checks which are supposed to kind of prevent things going wrong to people behaved badly at off. Of course things go wrong, but Madison says is there is a degree of depravity in mankind, which requires a certain degree of circumspection and distrust. So there are other qualities in human nature which justify a certain portion of esteem and confidence Republican government presupposes the existence of these qualities in a higher degree than any other form with the pictures which have been drawn by the political jealousy of some among us faithful likenesses of the human character.

The inference would be that there is not sufficient virtue among men for self-government in the nothing less than the chains of despotism can restrain the destroying and devouring one another as a Republican government presupposes the existence of these qualities a certain degree of virtue and a higher degree than any other form. I think that's why it's so important to think about ethics to to really think about ethics of public life in public service not just assume that the kind of system runs itself, and no one has to pay attention to thinking about what's good for the whole country for the whole people for the future, not just for the present. That's the voice of William Kristol, longtime conservative commentator, but vocal critic of Pres. Donald Trump delivered remarks recently at Davidson College Crystal joints Davidson this fall as a visiting professor of ethics in society will return with North Carolina Journal commitment to truth and transparency in government. That is the mission of Carolina journal and we are proud to deliver and now proud to tell you the North Carolina press Association has honored to members of our team with awards reporting and writing, that's right, we really do deliver award-winning journalism we shine the light on government spending, reveal the truth about boondoggles and dig deep into programs paid for with your tax money. We keep you in the know in a way other media outlets don't in our reach and influence are growing all of our outlets. We reach more than 1 million N. Carolinians each month so make sure you're one of them. Our monthly print edition arrives in your mailbox every month. Our online daily news site Carolina journal.com has fresh stories, opinion pieces, and more.

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Call 1866 JL FINF0 for your free subscription, welcome back to Carolina journal radio I'm down to Martinez North Carolinians into congressional districts will vote in special elections this year following. In one case the death of a member of Congress and in another case, a ruling from the state board of elections and following ballot shenanigans in a race during the 2018 election.

Carolina journal is keeping track of both of these races. Rick Anderson is editor-in-chief and he joins us now with the very latest Rick welcome back, thinking we are talking about the ninth and the third congressional districts. Let's talk about the ninth first. Now this is the district that spans from Charlotte East into southeastern North Carolina why special elections because these board of elections never certified the 2018 election and after a series of challenges and a series of State boards of election that were reconstituted and not the currently constituted constitutional board has ordered a new election. Part of that at the request of the candidate who was leading on election night Republican Mark Harris and also part because of the result of four-day hearing that the board had about evidence of ballot fraud in that district. In fact the vote from the board of elections was unanimous.

Yet Republicans and Democrats on on that state board saying we just got essentially do this over so we also learned that the Republican you mentioned Mark Harris who appeared to have one in November 2018 is not going to be part of this race.

That's right. He's cited health reasons, and other concerns and there were a number of analysts who said because of the information that came out during the course of the investigation, which was damaging to people he hired, he may have had direct supervision orbitals people he hired. It's of the testimony that came out he would've been very re-wounded as a candidate anyway. But he is also said there some health concerns of the head is not going to succeed. We also know that the Democrat was in that race in 2018.

Dan McCready is going forward is correct and increased fact from the time that late November when Dan McCready first decided to let their thought there might be another election because of some the reporting is coming out has already started raising money is apparently raised somewhere in the high's six figures for the race this year and so he's going to be pretty well-funded as he goes into their probably ahead of Democratic opponents in most likely Republicans we see as well. Rick doing now based on the investigations, what actually went on that shouldn't have gone on and do. We also know it has had occurred potentially in either other election years are other races like weight, what we know is that there was an operation that took place in which operatives of the one who is focused on here McRae Dallas essentially harvested balance what he did was put in absentee ballot request for people when the ballots were delivered. People who work for him when around the homes of people who ordered the ballots and insist some cases possibly many cases collected the ballots and turn them in, filled in seats for races that were not marked up postage on the falsified witness signatures and there's a number of issues of fraud and Mr. Dallas has been operating since at least 2010 if not earlier. So this is something that's affected Bladen County.

In particular, but possibly Robinson County as well for several years and officials if they may have known about it didn't do anything. In some cases to candidates for sheriff in no Bladen County were actually part of the least likely part of the knowledge have dogs of the ski so they it's really a rotten situation there. And so it was something that the state board almost had to act upon. And presumably there the investigations are continuing on this is what can you security Lauren Freeman is continuing her investigation. The feds are now involved and Mr. Dallas is has been arrested and indicted four of his season three of his to say accomplices. Three of his associates have been indicted or arrested already as well. What we know about the timing of the redo on election the.

The election of the filing. For the elections is ongoing, but that is about to end. But what's going on right now is that we know that there's going to be primary in the ninth of 14 May and then if a second primary is needed. If no candidate gets more than 30% of the vote on either the Republican or Democratic side, a libertarian or Greener constitutional five parties are eligible to run here if we don't have a 30% a plurality in one of those races. There will be a second primary on 10 September. If we have 30% or more in all this, party races, then the General Election Will Take Pl., September 10th, but if we have to have a second primary Valley 10 September in the general election November 5. Okay, let's move on Dan today second special election that is going to occur that is in the third congressional district in eastern North Carolina and sadly that's because of the death of Congressman Walter Jones not Walter Jones who served for almost a quarter-century in that sick congressional district passed away from complications after a falling and breaking his hip and he also currently had Lou Gehrig's disease in the early stages of that and so passed away. He the governor ordered the the election to take place and the dates for that the primaries 30 April. The us, usually the primaries April 30. If there is a second primary it would be July 9. If there's not a second primary would take the General Election Will Take Pl., July ninth. If there is a second primary General Election Will Take Pl., September 10th and the reason for that September to update in both the third and the night is those are the dates there will be music municipal elections across North Carolina and so this way state board of elections will not have to prepare for additional special elections. Is this going to truncate the timeline is probably going to make turnout higher than it would be otherwise. And so this is a way that you can save some cost of distribution of ballots and of informing the election workers Rick as if it's not already complicated enough. We've had some legal developments when it comes to the issue of voter ID whether or not an identification will be required and legal in North Carolina and that apparently will impact these two races were talking. That's right as as of now, the state Court of Appeals has agreed to temporarily put a hold on this court order for Boyd County Superior Court Judge, you said that the constitutional amendment requiring variety was unconstitutional.

That's subject for another segment, but nonetheless if indeed voter ID is going to be required in the North Carolina as quickly as possible. There's a very good chance that the Gen. assembly is going to implement some sort of legislation to delay the finalization of all the rules and regulations until next year. Part of that has to do with the fact that we do have two federal elections on our ballot in the in this 2019 and this year and chances of court challenges making sure everything complies with federal regulations, which are different than state regulations for voter ID. The general civil is likely to strike the standard next year Rick when it comes to voter IDM in other states require identification.

Why is this such a legal battle for North Carolina. Both Carol and you have so forth. In very litigious groups like the NAACP, which is just this has suing every opportunity. North Carolina also has been under the control of federal voting rights act because of various issues.

We are under a tougher level of scrutiny than other states. And, like, say, Indiana, for instance, which has had voter ID requirements upheld by the courts. But the issue there is that they were not subject to extra scrutiny because of past actions of discrimination will be sent new special elections in the third and nine congressional districts of North Carolina journal will be reporting on the candidates the issues going forward into those races seek and find all of that@carolinajournal.com Rick Henderson is editor-in-chief. Thank you. Thank you. That's all the time we have for the show this week on behalf of Mitch. Okay I'm Donna Martinez. Join us again next week for more Carolina journal radio Carolina journal radio is a program of the John to learn more about the John Locke foundation including donations support programs like Carolina journal radio send email to development John Locke.or call 1866 jail left 166-553-4636 Carolina journal radio is the John line foundation airline is maintaining Carolina broadcasting system, Inc. all opinions expressed on this program and are so clearly formation about the show. Other programs and services of the foundation timeline.toll-free at 866 JM would like to thank our wonderful radio affiliates across airline Carolina journal radio. Thank you for listening.

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