N.C. Senator Ellie Kinnaird's Newsletter

May 2, 2011 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Ellie Kinnaird

Greetings from the North Carolina Senate,

One of my readers lamented the constant bickering in the legislature this year. I would like to give a more complete picture. Although there is a great deal of tension this year since the Democrats are now in the minority and the Republicans are finally passing bills they have wanted for years, we are all colleagues working together. A large percentage of the bills are passed with either unanimous votes or very few dissenting votes. In some cases the bills we all agree are needed changes to the law on which we have wide agreement, or a bill has been through much debate with all the stakeholders and in committee and before it gets to the Senate floor and a rough consensus emerges as a result. (The House is more contentious and often has long, vigorous, floor debates.) It is seldom that a bill hasn’t been looked at it by many eyes and from many viewpoints. And although we may disagree by straight party line on some major issues, even those bills may have a few who vote with the opposition, based on constituent interests or deeply held belief.

A bill may start with a legislator who sees a need from personal experience or by a constituent who brings it to the legislator’s attention. (Sometimes legislators react to dramatic news stories and create what I call “Legislation by Headline” that does not always produce the best result) Advocacy groups who work towards certain goals or the lobbyists for various groups - utilities, insurance companies, or even outside groups like Freedom Works (the infamous Koch brothers and Art Pope) will ask for bills to be written. An example is the broadband bill titled, “Level Playing Field.” It prohibits cities from establishing their own broadband for unserved or underserved areas. The need for local government broadband initiatives arose because the big companies refused to run lines where there isn’t enough density and the cost of running the lines is too high to make a profit. The bill to prohibit local government from providing broadband services is sailing through with amendment after amendment defeated that might have allowed some cities to run their own broadband. Another recent example is that some insurance companies want to get out from under the Insurance Commissioner’s authority and set their own rates and premiums. Luckily they don’t all agree and this bill may not move ahead. At the other end of the spectrum, a really great bill that I co-sponsored would establish Benefit or “B” Corporations. The business would have as their mission not only bottom line profit, but also social or environmental good. Stockholders would know that their money is working for their values as well as a return on their investment. It can also include specific employee benefits such as volunteer community participation and will set the ratio of CEO’s salary to the lowest paid employee. For a model of a B Corp. look up Redwoods Group on the Internet.

Perhaps most important for a positive working environment is that, for the most part, we get along well, respect each person’s views, understand that they are representing their particular constituents and are working hard for the betterment of all the people of North Carolina. We have good friends across the aisle and often unexpected friendships. One of my favorite senators, now deceased, was Ham Horton of Forsythe County who in his earlier years was a speech writer for Jesse Helms! We sponsored a bill together to create an Independent Redistricting Commission (don’t the Democrats wish they had passed that bill now?) and grumbled in committee meetings about the meaningless names of bills and programs intended obscure the real purpose and the endless acronyms and bureaucratic jargonese. So while it is an intense reality with some profile and fundamental disagreements in making public policy, no one else can appreciate the shared experience like our colleagues. At the end of the session we hold a “Love Feast” that we all attend - no staff or family allowed - and roast and toast each other.

And now to my report for the week;

In another school testing bill passed last week, public schools will now use the nationally and internationally benchmarked tests related to critical thinking and writing skills rather than the rote learning “to the test.”

I was persuaded to vote against a bill increasing the fine for speeding in a school zone from $25.00 to $250.00 that would also put points on a drivers license. One of our members is a former highway patrolman from Bertie County. He had two arguments against the bill: first, he represents many poor people who couldn’t afford the fine plus court costs of almost $200 and certainly not a lawyer to represent them. Second, he said enforcement would be very difficult. I did, however, strongly support a bill to greatly increase the penalty for passing a stopped school bus where safety is a real issue.

The official list of North Carolina Century Farms was established in a bill last week. These are farms that have been continuously in use for over a century.

Meanwhile, on the contentious front, there is still no bill to continue the unemployment benefits for those out of work long-term. These folks have now gone two weeks without a check. We heard at a public meeting from people who have lost their homes, their cars, and their savings. One man had to borrow gas money from his daughter to testify at the hearing. Another woman had come from Minnesota when North Carolina was thriving and known as a good place to live and work. Shortly after, she lost her job and has been unable to find any work for over a year. And many families are taking in their loved ones who no longer have a roof over their heads. There are issues that divide along party lines and, in this case, people’s lives are being severely impacted by Republican political maneuvering.

The President declared the devastated North Carolina counties a disaster area and the Governor issued an Executive Order for removal of agricultural debris for farmers. There is so much debris in the fields that farmers can’t plant during this crucial planting time. We heard from the Agricultural Commissioner that a 2 x 4 board or part of a metal roof in a field, could ruin a farmer’s equipment when plowing their fields. A Person County resident wrote to tell me that Person County suffered more damage that I wrote about last week. And if any of my constituents are not getting the help you need, please contact my office.

Interesting fact of the week: Exxon made $11 billion for the first quarter of the year.

The trivia bill of the week is declaring Sneads Ferry as the Official State Shrimp Festival. And in a minor conflict for me, since I represent the Tar Heels, Motor Sports was declared the official North Carolina Sport.

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 •