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Wed: Noon Update
posted at 2009-07-15 13:02 | Last modified 2009-07-15 13:18
A Wake County judge will rule Friday at noon on state Schools Superintendent June Atkinson's lawsuit against the state.
Atkinson was represented in court today by Bob Orr and Jeannette Doran from NCICL. They argued the position of Superintendent is constitutionally protected, and neither the Gov, the legislature, nor the state board of education has the authority to transfer its authority elsewhere, as Perdue did when she appointed Bill Harrison to be "CEO" of the state's schools. But special AG Mark Davis argued for the state's side that state law says the duties of the Superintendent are those delegated to the position by the Board of Education.
WRAL has more, plus some nice background here.
Racial Justice
The House is set for a final vote today on S461, the Racial Justice Act. Supporters of the Racial Justice Act say statistics show black defendants in murder cases are more likely to receive death sentences than their white counterparts. The bill would set up a way for death row inmates and defendants to argue their sentencing was racially biased. If they can prove it, a judge could change the sentence to life without parole.
Forsyth Democrat Larry Womble sponsored the House version of the bill. " "If we're gonna kill people, we ought to do it fairly and objectively," he argued, adding that the Act "is merely an acknowledgment of what we all know: justice is no more blind to race than any other part of our society. "
Opponents of S461 say it'll clog the court system for years, amounting to a practical moratorium on executions. Rep David Guice (R-Transylvania) says the current system already contains many levels of protection against racial bias. House Minority Leader Paul Stam called it the "most foolish bill we've considered all year."
For more on yesterday's heated two-hour debate, check out Michael Biesecker's wrapup at the N&O. It's set for a final House vote today.
Knickers in a twist
Rep Pricey Harrison's clothesline bill ("right-to-dry"?) went down in flames in Senate Commerce yesterday. The debate, chronicled hilariously by Mark Binker, started out with questions about flapping panties and only went downhill from there. It was ludicrous enough to catch the eye of the Drudge Report. In a Facebook update last night, Harrison called the committee's response "frustrating."
Mmm..."craft" beer
The Senate votes today on H1595, which would allow beer tastings under the same rules as wine tastings. The bill's House sponsor Thom Tillis (R-Meck)said in committee yesterday that it'll help local microbreweries get the word out about their products. Sen Steve Goss (D-Watauga) expressed concern that kids would see people enjoying beer at tastings in grocery stores and would want to buy it. Tillis pointed out that beers sampled at these tastings are most likely to be the expensive "craft" types that don't appeal to underage drinkers, anyway: "We're not talking Old Milwaukee here."
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