Opinion Roundup: Aug, 4, 2016 -- Honesty and coal ash; UNC and NCAA; Questions and HB2

Politics came before public safety, official testifies (Fayetteville Observer) -- Somebody's lying, and it's important to know who it is. But it's even more important to know just how well the state of North Carolina is protecting its people from water pollution.

WWDD -- What would Smith do on UNC scandal? (Charlotte Observer column) -- UNC’s response to the NCAA is tepid and troubling. Dean Smith would have vacated the 2005 national championship.

Another defeat for GOP voting schemes (New York Times) -- Last Friday, a federal appeals court struck down the heart of a new North Carolina voting law found to block African-American voters with what it called “almost surgical precision” just as the black vote has been growing in power in that important swing state. In truth, the recent court decisions help “un-rig” the election by rejecting shamefully partisan strictures.

Some common sense questions on HB2 (Burlington Times-News) -- Armchair quarterbacks often read too much into questions by judges. It’s not an accurate gauge of how a judge might eventually rule. For his part U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Schroeder said he would try to rule on the case before school opens later this month. We hope his decision exhibits as much common sense as his questions did.

More questions about why HB2 exists (Greensboro News & Record) -- We wonder if members of the North Carolina General Assembly and Gov. Pat McCrory were listening – or at least hearing – on Monday when U.S. District Court Judge Thomas D. Schroeder asked in several forms one very tacit question: Why do the citizens of North Carolina need House Bill 2 in the first place?