Under the Dome: Berger dismissive of Democrats’ use of Gov Ops

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan

May 10, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.·6 min read

Good morning! ☀️ Here’s what you need to know in North Carolina politics today.

On Wednesday, I reported that Democratic members of the secretive Gov Ops committee tried to get documents by making requests themselves, as opposed to the request coming from the entire committee, which is co-chaired by the powerful House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger. On Thursday, Berger was dismissive of Democratic Sens. Dan Blue and Gladys Robinson’s attempt.

Berger said after a Senate session on Thursday that he thinks “Democrats are in a search for relevance” and dismissed it as an effort to get attention on spending they oppose, on crisis pregnancy centers and school vouchers.

Berger said he doesn’t know of any instance that any lawmaker on any Senate or House committee “has taken it upon themselves to represent that they, on behalf of the committee as a whole, have the right to demand any kind of information.”

As for complying with information requested by Gov Ops as a whole, Berger said the committee could issue a subpoena.

– Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan

Keep reading for more from our politics team and correspondent Stephanie Loder.

NC LEGISLATORS DISCUSS TAXPAYER REBATES

Need a little extra cash? Or maybe, a lot of cash? North Carolina lawmakers are discussing whether they could provide taxpayer rebates this year.

But don’t rush out to buy that new house or car just yet. The tax refunds are still in the discussion phase.

Senate leader Phil Berger said Thursday the legislature is discussing whether it’s possible to use some of the state’s $1.4 billion revenue surplus for a rebate this year.

Budget writers are determining whether the expected surplus includes enough money to provide a rebate and they don’t have any solid answers at this point, he said.

Berger also said he would like to see taxpayers get “significant” rebates that are more than just $100 or $150.

Get the full story from Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan here.

NC AUDITOR RUNOFF ELECTION ON TUESDAY

Jack Clark and Dave Boliek each want to be the GOP nominee for state auditor in November, and voters in next week’s second primary will make the choice.

The winner of the May 14 runoff will go against incumbent Jessica Holmes, a Democrat who was appointed last year by Gov. Roy Cooper after longtime Auditor Beth Wood resigned in December after pleading guilty to a charge of misusing her state-assigned car.

Clark is a certified public accountant and research assistant in the N.C. House. Boliek is an attorney who serves on the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees.

Get the full story from Avi Bajpai here.

FOREVER CHEMICALS VOTE POSTPONED; LATE COST ANALYSIS BLAMED

The state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) came under fire this week by Environmental Management Commission members who say the delayed consideration of updated limits on forever chemicals is connected to bureaucratic confusion.

Tim Baumgartner, the vice chair of the commission’s Groundwater and Waste Management Committee, said the DEQ didn’t finalize a cost analysis for the proposal to regulate eight per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances in groundwater, so the vote had to be postponed.

During an April 19 meeting with Baumgartner and committee chair Joe Reardon, Baumgartner says, DEQ staff admitted the fiscal analysis wouldn’t be ready in time for the vote. The PFAS item remained on the committee’s agenda, but Baumgartner and Reardon didn’t hear back from DEQ.

Baumgartner said DEQ was “grandstanding” and showed a lack of respect for the commission by failing to communicate and provide documents in a timely manner.

Get the full story from Adam Wagner here.

MAY 14 RUNOFF ELECTION NOT OVER FOR BRAD KNOTT

It seemed like the planets aligned for Republican candidate Brad Knott, who resigned his job as a federal prosecutor to run for Congress.

First, former President Donald Trump endorsed Knott.

The Trump endorsement led to fellow Republican Kelly Daughtry, a Johnston County attorney, suspending her campaign against Knott for the 13th Congressional District seat.

It seemed to happen quickly, and with less than two weeks before a runoff election against Daughtry that Knott himself had requested after the March GOP primary.

When congratulations began rolling in from Daughtry and from Jason Simmons, chairman of the state Republican Party, it gave the appearance Knott had won.

The runoff election, however, is not over for Knott.

Here’s why:

Daughtry’s name is listed on the runoff election ballot.
As Daughtry announced her leaving, 3,100 votes had already been cast in her district.
If she gets the most votes in the May 14 runoff, Daughtry could change her mind and accept the win.

If Daughtry doesn’t change her mind, the local GOP gets to choose the nominee – which also might not be Knott.

Get the full story from Danielle Battaglia here.

NC ELECTION DIRECTORS SEE MORE WORK, SALARY STRUGGLES

North Carolina county election directors – the 100 people who make certain everyone gets a fair chance to vote – are faced with demanding workloads, insufficient pay and an angry public.

Patrick Wike, the election director in Alexander County, said some directors feel the counties that employ them “don’t understand the true nature and demand” of today’s election offices.

Retirements and resignations have meant 60 changes in the last five years for county election directors. That is concerning, said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections, because as experienced directors leave, their valuable knowledge goes with them.

Salary is a factor.

Election directors’ pay is determined by their individual county. The only guidance state law provides in setting salaries is that directors receive a minimum of $12 an hour.

How much do county elections directors earn?

We’ve attached a chart within the story so you can look up the salary in your county.

Get the full story from Kyle Ingram here.

NC CONSIDERS MILITARY WORLD GAMES

North Carolina wants to host the 2027 Military World Summer Games in Charlotte, and the Department of Defense said Wednesday it is considering supporting the bid.

The games would bring a revenue source estimated at $3 billion to the state.

In April, Sen. Ted Budd, Sen. Thom Tillis and 12 of the state’s 14 U.S. representatives sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin asking him to help them bring the military games to the state.