Document Actions
Tuesday: Triple-booked
posted at 2007-06-05 22:06 | Last modified 2007-11-14 10:38
You'd think PR flacks would know by now NOT to schedule things on Tuesdays. Tuesdays are "lobby days" - the day groups from outside the legislature come in to make their collective case for anything from eye exams to computer training at community colleges. It's always inherently double-booked, which means some group isn't going to get the coverage it wants.
Well, today was triple-booked. Maybe it's the craziness of the last three weeks - a House budget, crossover, and then a Senate budget. A lot of folks probably look at this week as their first clear chance for a little love from the media.
But of course more isn't better, in this case. And today, pretty much everything from Ag Day to Earl Scruggs to the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority day was left in the shadows of Basnight's letter and the fire-safe cigarette. Sorry, folks, but there's only so much airtime/column space available per day.
Except, of course, on the Web. Which is why we're here, right?
Ag Day
Legislators, staff, and lobbyists lined up for fried chicken, salad, macaroni and cheese, and sweet tea today at the Agriculture Day luncheon out back on the Halifax Mall.
The same stiff breeze that kept temps slightly south of scorchingly hot played havoc with the handouts lovingly prepared by the state Agribiz Commission. Good thing Dole Foods (main sponsor, apparently) supplied banana bunches as table decorations - they ended up serving as handy plate anchors, at least according to the advice of Speaker Joe Hackney.
Normally, these sector events are lovefests: "The ___ industry brings in ___ dollars to NC! We're important!" But that wasn't exactly the message today. It was more good news, bad news.
Pro: Agriculture is still NC's top-dollar sector, hauling in around $66 billion a year, according to industry execs.
Con: It's taken a sizable hit recently. NC Agribiz VP Erica Peterson said food manufacturing has fallen off from $30B to $20B in the past five years.
And of course, there was a plea for more generous legislative support. Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler said he hopes the conference committee will restore funding (cut by the Senate) for everything from farmland preservation to food security.
Troxler says after recent problems with imports from China, it's more important than ever for the US to grow and process its own food. And he says US farmers need to increase crop yields quickly to keep up with the burgeoning global need for food. He says NC ought to be in the forefront on both, but that won't happen if lawmakers refuse to find more funds.
Pickin' and a-grinnin'
Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs and the widow of fellow icon Don Gibson were honored by lawmakers today for their contributions to NC's stature in the world of music.
Okay, so it was a publicity junket engineered by Cleveland County Tourism promoters. But still - Scruggs is the guy who invented the three-finger banjo-picking technique, for cryin' out loud! I'm not a big bluegrass person, but I had the privilege of hearing Scruggs perform a couple of years ago at the NC Museum of Art's concert series. The guy really is amazing.
Plenty of folks on Jones Street think so, too, apparently. Davidson Republican Stan Bingham was the most star-struck Senator. Bingham, it seems, is an accomplished musician in his own right. He spoke with reverence on the Senate floor about how much he enjoys playing Scruggs' originals like "Hot Corn, Cold Corn." (Yes, it's about moonshine. Bring your demijohn.)
On the House side, the biggest fan had to be Bill Holmes, Speaker Hackney's press guy. Holmes says he takes weekly banjo lessons as a bluegrass aficionado. (Who knew?) He was visibly excited at the prospect of meeting Scruggs in person. Maybe not what you'd expect from a grizzled AP veteran, but I thought it was kind of endearing.
Basnight's absence
The spokesman for Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight says the Man from Manteo will be "actively engaged" in ongoing budget talks with the House, despite an absence necessitated by a "family illness." You can hear Schorr Johnson's comments to me here.
It's been a rough year for Basnight, who's serving a record eighth term as Senate Leader. His Nags Head restaurant, the Lone Cedar, recently burned down. He's in the process of rebuilding it, but the family heirlooms also destroyed in the fire can't ever be replaced.
Johnson won't confirm or deny this, but it's possible the ill family member may be Basnight's wife, who is said to have been battling serious health problems for some time. Senior Senate Democrats Tony Rand and Walter Dalton said today their thoughts and prayers are with Sen. Basnight's family. Mine are, too.
Ahead for Wednesday
Wednesday's agenda is a little less crowded, which is good news for everyone on it.
10AM - House Public Utilities takes up a bill restricting local gov'ts' ability to provide free wireless service. NCPIRG doesn't like it. But I'm betting AT&T and Time-Warner do.
Also at 10AM - Senate J2 considers a bill to help military personnel in custody battles. Some say it goes too far.
11AM - House Aging looks at a proposal to give star ratings to adult care homes. Supporters of the bill allege (off-record) that LTC companies have been lobbying lawmakers who represent poor or minority districts, telling them the homes in their areas will be shut down by the proposal. Should be interesting.
3PM - In session, the Senate takes up a proposal for same-day registration at one-stop voting facilities, and another measure raising the minimum age for a death sentence from 17 to 18.
Comments? Drop me a line.
