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NC Democrats launch 'shadow' government effort

The idea comes from parliamentary systems and is meant to focus the minority party on issues, leadership says.

Posted Updated
NC House Democratic caucus webpage, listing of "shadow" committee chairs, March 25, 2021.
By
Travis Fain
, WRAL statehouse reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — Taking a page from the British parliamentary system, Democrats in the North Carolina House have added "shadow" titles to their job descriptions.

There's now a "shadow" education chair, a "shadow" transportation chair and a number of "shadow" appropriations chairs.

In fact there's a "shadow" chair, and in many cases a vice chair, for just about every committee in the House that handles legislation on a given topic. The idea is that members of the minority party will be subject-matter experts as the legislative session chugs along.

Such "shadow" titles are common in parliamentary systems, perhaps most notably the United Kingdom Parliament, where the "Shadow Cabinet" of politicians from the minority party is routinely quoted in the press.

“[It's] a standard, well established system that enhances the role of the minority party to be the loyal opposition,” said Rep. Grier Martin, D-Wake, who is, among other things at the legislature, the Democratic caucus' floor leader and now "shadow redistricting committee chair."

“It allows us to more effectively offer a different point of view," Martin said.

There are some 60 different shadow chairs or vice chairs laid out on the caucus' website.

Martin said the new structure will help the minority party analyze and quickly respond to legislation as Republicans move it through the chamber, a process that sometimes moves quickly and with little warning to the minority out of power. It will also make it clear to reporters where to go on a particular issue for the minority party's thoughts.

"[We'll] spread responsibility around the caucus. [It] makes us a better team," Martin said.

It also helps Democrats "show we would govern if we were in the majority," he said.

Democrats have been in the minority in the North Carolina House for a decade, a change that followed decades of mostly strong Democratic Party control. A strong push to change that during the last election cycle fell well short.

"House Democrats are trying to clumsily shoehorn in parliamentary terms to make themselves sound more impressive," House Republican Caucus Director Stephen Wiley said in a text Friday. "Many of their members are already real chairs and vice chairs of real committees rather than made up chairs in a parallel universe."

"Many" is a relative term. Republican leadership gave Democrats four committee co-chair slots this legislative session and, by Wiley's count, 14 vice chairs. Committees typically have multiple chairs. There are 42 standing committees in the House, and the Republican senior chairs hold power in all of them, particularly in the key ones.

Still, Wiley said that one Democrat, Rep. Billy Richardson, D-Cumberland, chaired a judiciary committee meeting this week.

"Though they apparently want to downgrade members to 'shadow chairs,'" he said.

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