Can the N.C. House Speaker override Republican Governor Pat McCrory’s veto of the welfare drug testing bill and have a chance at the U.S. Senate seat he seeks? Recent poll numbers don’t look promising.
North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory vetoed two bills early this afternoon. The first bill would mandate drug testing for welfare recipients, and –? according to his office — has potential for application inconsistencies and unnecessary government intrusion. The second bill would make it easier to circumvent a federal law prohibiting non-citizen hiring, and was vetoed to supposedly save North Carolina jobs, according to the governor’s office. Pat McCrory was criticized by leaders of his own party for the vetoes, for the first time since taking office.
NC House Speaker Thom Tillis (R) issued statements shortly after expressing disappointment regarding the veto of the bills. The statements indicate that he will explore veto-override options for each. Tillis, who is eyeing Kay Hagan’s U.S. Senate seat, finds himself at an 8-point disadvantage from an unpopular legislative session according to the poll released by Public Policy Polling? on Tuesday.
The unpopular legislative session led to weekly demonstrations known as ?Moral Mondays? nearly every Monday since late April. Protesters have gathered in the state capital to oppose a range of issues, including cuts to unemployment benefits, forgoing the Medicaid expansion, NC Amendment One (state amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman), the Voter ID Law (VIVA), sub-par education funding, and other issues. Recently, protests have expanded to include Charlotte, Asheville, and even Chicago. The protests have a higher approval rating than the General Assembly, according to this Charlotte News & Observer poll released Wednesday.
The protests have been run by Rev. William Barber II, president of the NC-NAACP. Over 900 protesters have been arrested for ?civil disobedience,? the same treatment given to Occupy Raleigh protesters according to the Wake County District Attorney.
edited/published by eap
