N.C. Senator Ellie Kinnaird's Newsletter

November 22, 2010 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Ellie Kinnaird

Greetings from the North Carolina Senate,

We now have results of the election and the landscape has changed drastically. For the Democrats, it was a great disappointment. We lost both chambers by significant margins. 31 to 19 in the Senate and 68-52 in the House. What will this mean? First, there may be bills such as a constitutional amendment to declare marriage as only between a man and a woman, an Arizona style immigration bill, perhaps repeal of the Racial Justice Act and restarting the death penalty, and replacing comprehensive sex education in favor of abstinence only school health courses. In the campaign, Republicans pledged to cut taxes and programs. In the face of a $3.5 billion short fall, that could be very difficult and will result in cuts to programs, we hope, not including education which they have pledged to protect. There are experienced Republicans who have prepared budgets in the past, so they will be able to offer guidance to the newcomers based on their extensive knowledge. And of course, there is redistricting. The new majority will redraw Congressional and legislative districts for the next ten years. I introduced an Independent Redistricting Commission some years ago with a Republican senator and will reintroduce it next term. But the Republicans are now in a position to draw the districts, so they may not join in the effort.

I have been a member of two commissions during the interim: the Justice Reinvestment Act and Youth Accountability Task Force. The first is sponsored by the Council Of State Governments and the Pew Charitable Trust. Last session, we had a presentation from a Republican Texas legislator who was able to greatly reduce the need for new prisons in his state through a plan that approached the problem in a new way. Using statistical evidence, they identified where the greatest prison entries came from and put their resources in that area. It both protected public safety and cut their prison population significantly. Other states have had similar results. Ours is a bipartisan initiative with support from the Governor, the Chief Justice and the leaders of the House and Senate. With that support, we hope to enact the plan next term. The second study was to raise the age when juveniles are tried as adults in the criminal justice system from 16 to 18. We are the last state (New York has a blended system) to try children as adults. Youth in the juvenile system have family involvement, counseling, education and wrap-around services that they do not receive in the adult jails and prisons. Rather they are preyed upon and learn how to become hardened criminals. This change may cost more than we can institute now, but we will look into a pilot program as a start-up.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Paid for by Ellie Kinnaird for Senate • Campaign Address: PO Box 668, Carrboro, NC 27510 • 919-918-3432
Legislative Office Address: Room 628 LOB, 300 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27603 •