Opinion Roundup: 9th District investigation, Cooper vetoes voter ID bill, Silent Sam housing and more

Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: Evidentiary hearing on 9th District issues rescheduled, GOP candidate says he made decision to hire ballot operative, Gov. Cooper vetoes voter ID bill, 11 released from Durham jail after sheriff ends policy of honoring immigration hold, UNC system board rejects plan for 'Silent Sam' center on campus and more.

REAL VOTER FRAUD?

TRAVIS FAIN & LAURA LESLIE: Elections board sets hearing date for 9th District investigation (WRAL-TV reports) — The State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement plans to delay its public hearing on NC's 9th Congressional District results until Jan. 11. That's a week after the new Congress is slated to be seated in Washington, D.C., meaning the district won't have a member of Congress at first.

Evidentiary hearing on 9th District issues rescheduled (AP reports) -- An evidentiary hearing on allegations of absentee ballot fraud in a congressional district election has been rescheduled to Jan. 11, 2019. In a letter board chairman Joshua Malcolm suggested more time may be needed to decide whether a new election would be necessary for the 9th Congressional District. Malcolm said those subpoenaed in the case said they need more time to produce additional records.

ELI ROSENBERG & AMY GARDNER: Congressional candidate confesses he hired aide at center of election fraud inquiry (Washington Post reports) -- A day after The Washington Post reported that Republican Mark Harris had chosen to hire Leslie McCrae Dowless, the congressional candidate admitted as such. Dowless is now at the center of an inquiry into whether the election was tainted by fraud. Harris’ 900-vote lead in the race for a congressional seat was called into question after the state’s election board declined to certify it amid fraud allegations.

TRAVIS FAIN: Harris says he hired Bladen absentee ballot guru (WRAL-TV reports) -- Republican Mark Harris confirmed that it was his decision to hire the Bladen County operative now at the center of a state investigation into 9th Congressional District election results.

NICK OCHSNER: Harris says he decided to hire Dowless, center of fraud allegations in race for 9th Congressional District (WBT-TV reports) -- Much of the public scrutiny surrounding the investigation has been aimed at McCrae Dowless, a Bladen County political operative who worked as a contractor for the Harris campaign in both this year’s primary and general election. Mark Harris confirmed that it was his decision to hire Dowless for his campaign.

GOP candidate says he made decision to hire ballot operative (AP reports) -- The GOP candidate in a disputed congressional race said that it was his decision to hire an operative who is now a person of interest in an investigation into how absentee ballots were handled.

BRIAN MURPHY: Everyone is readying for new election in NC’s 9th, but parties are sparring over primary (Charlotte Observer reports) -- The state board of elections won’t meet until Jan. 11, but Republicans and Democrats are already fighting over what should happen in the event of a new election.

TRAVIS FAIN: Cooper vetoes voter ID bill (WRAL-TV reports) -- Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed legislation setting up the rules for the state's new requirement that voters present photo identification at the polls, calling it "a solution in search of a problem." The General Assembly is expected to gather next week to override Cooper's decision. Republicans hold a super-majority in both chambers, giving them the numbers to do so without help from legislators in Cooper's party.

GARY ROBERTSON: Governor vetoes latest voter ID legislation (AP reports) -- Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed legislation implementing a voter photo identification mandate that was added to the state's constitution in a recent referendum, teeing up a likely veto override by Republican lawmakers.

NC legislators seek to keep some sins in the dark (Charlotte Observer) -- A bill sits on Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk that would have protected elected officials being investigated for campaign finance irregularities. The legislation would make such inquiries confidential. Had this law been in place this year, the Board of Elections could not have disclosed what they found about state Rep. Rodney Moore of Charlotte, or even that he was being investigated, and he could have been reelected by voters kept in the dark.

RICK SMITH: N.C. ‘absolutely’ still pursuing Apple as ‘ongoing project’ (WRAL-TV reports) -- North Carolina isn’t ready to write off its chances of landing an expansion project from Apple even though the tech giant didn’t include the state in a series of economic expansion move.

GILBERT BAEZ: Former Hoke deputy, county employee face fraud charges in OT scheme (WRAL-TV reports) -- A former Hoke County deputy and the county's former human resources director have been charged with fraud in connection with a scheme to collect overtime pay, authorities said Friday.

MATTHEW BURNS: Alamance jailbreak bomb plot foiled by mis-mailed letter (WRAL-TV reports) -- A plan to bomb the Alamance County jail was thwarted after a letter detailing the plot was mailed to the wrong person.

ERIC WILDSTEIN: Lara Trump visits Gastonia (Gaston Gazette) -- Lara Trump arrived at the Gastonia Conference Center for a sold-out fundraising dinner with U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry. McHenry, a Republican and the current chief deputy whip of the U.S. House of Representatives, welcomed President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law with a gift of hand-blown glass Christmas ornaments made by an artisan in Mitchell County. Tickets to the dinner ranged from $100 per person to $150 for a couple, although two tables with a total of 16 seats were $5,400. Pricier seats came with a VIP photo reception.

ROB SCHOFIELD: GOP excoriates ‘big government’ ... except when it's embracing it (Winston-Salem Journal column) -- It’s long been understood that the age-old conservative talking point about the supposed evils of “big government” was always just that — a talking point more than a genuine belief. The truth of the matter is that American conservatives love government in a wide variety of circumstances. Last week, Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis issued a joint celebratory announcement in which they took credit for securing “three BUILD Transportation grants totaling more than $60 million for North Carolina.” And, as arch-right-wing U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows made clear a few months ago with a plea to the Trump administration, when it comes to assistance with things like storm recovery, conservative anti-government animus goes out the window.

VIRGINIA BRIDGES: 11 released from Durham jail after sheriff ends policy of honoring immigration holds (Durham-Herald Sun reports) — A week after the Durham County sheriff announced a new policy of no longer holding people in the jail for federal immigration officials, 11 people were released without the immigration hold, the Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

RAY MCKINNON & 25 OTHER MECKLENBURG COUNTY FAITH LEADERS: Faith leaders cheer Mecklenburg sheriff’s ending of 287(g) program (Charlotte Observer column) — Members of our community have lived in fear for too long. They fear being threatened with deportation if they report a crime. They fear that a simple traffic violation could forever separate them from their children, spouse and community. hat is why we applaud the important change that took place at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office last week: Sheriff Garry McFadden cut ties with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its 287(g) program, making life safer for everyone.

EDUCATION

SARAH KRUEGER & CLAUDIA RUPCICH: UNC system board rejects plan for 'Silent Sam' center on campus (WRAL-TV reports) -- The UNC Board of Governors rejected a plan to build a center to house the controversial "Silent Sam" Confederate monument on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus.

VALERIE BAUERLEIN: University Leaders Reject Latest Plan for Housing Silent Sam (Wall Street Journal reports) -- North Carolina’s public university system rejected a proposal to build a $5.3 million building to house Silent Sam, the Confederate monument that was torn down in August.

SUSAN SVRLUGA: ‘We were a part of that sacrifice and branding’: UNC’s NBA stars condemn Silent Sam (Washington Post reports) -- In the hours before a critical decision on a Confederate monument at UNC- Chapel Hill, a group of prominent athletes issued a joint statement calling it “crisis time” at Carolina. “We love UNC but now also feel a disconnect from an institution that was unwilling to listen to students and faculty who asked for Silent Sam to be permanently removed from campus,” they wrote in an open letter signed by athletes including Vince Carter and Jerry Stackhouse. The recommendation to return the Confederate monument known as Silent Sam is embarrassing and wrongful, they wrote. “This is crisis time at Carolina, and we feel that a clear shot has been fired. It hurts us.”

MATTHEW BURNS: Interim status removed for new Elizabeth City State chancellor (WRAL-TV reports) -- The UNC Board of Governors named Karrie Gibson Dixon as chancellor of Elizabeth City State University.

JONATHAN ALEXANDER: UNC’s Roy Williams on Silent Sam: ‘I think that it would be best for it to not be here’ (Durham-Herald Sun reports) — NC coach Roy Williams said Friday afternoon that he is not in favor of the university re-erecting the Silent Sam statue, which was pulled down by a group of protestors in a rally in August.

ABBY GOODNOUGH & ROBERT PEAR: Texas Judge Strikes Down Obama’s Affordable Care Act as Unconstitutional (New York Times reports) -- A federal judge in Texas struck down the entire Affordable Care Act on Friday on the grounds that its mandate requiring people to buy health insurance is unconstitutional and the rest of the law cannot stand without it. The ruling was over a lawsuit filed this year by a group of Republican governors and state attorneys general. A group of intervening states led by Democrats promised to appeal the decision, which will most likely not have any immediate effect. But it will almost certainly make its way to the Supreme Court, threatening the survival of the landmark health law and, with it, health coverage for millions of Americans, protections for people with pre-existing conditions and much more. In his ruling, Judge Reed O’Connor of the Federal District Court in Fort Worth said that the individual mandate requiring people to have health insurance “can no longer be sustained as an exercise of Congress’s tax power.” Accordingly, Judge O’Connor, a George W. Bush appointee, said that “the individual mandate is unconstitutional” and the remaining provisions of the Affordable Care Act are invalid.

AMY GOLDSTEIN: Citing change in tax law, judge rules entire health-care law unconstitutional (Washington Post reports) -- White House officials said they expect the ruling to be appealed to the Supreme Court, so the law remains in place for now.

STEPHANIE ARMOUR & BRENT KENDALL: Federal Judge Deals New Blow to Affordable Care Act (Wall Street Journal reports) -- A federal judge ruled that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional without a penalty for not having insurance, casting doubt on the law’s future.

ADAM LIPTAK: Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Law, 5-4, in Victory for Obama (New York Times reports FROM June 27, 2012) -- The Supreme Court on Thursday June 27, 2012 upheld President Obama’s health care overhaul law, saying its requirement that most Americans obtain insurance or pay a penalty was authorized by Congress’s power to levy taxes. The vote was 5 to 4, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joining the court’s four more liberal members. The decision was a victory for Mr. Obama and Congressional Democrats, affirming the central legislative achievement of Mr. Obama’s presidency.

MATTHEW BURNS: Pediatric researcher named CEO of UNC Health (WRAL-TV reports) -- The UNC Board of Governors named Dr. A. Wesley Burks as chief executive of UNC Health Care, dean of the UNC School of Medicine and vice chancellor for medical affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

HUNTER INGRAM: Soggy milestone: Wilmington poised to hit rain century mark (Wilmington Star-News reports) — Wilmington’s rainiest year on record is likely to become only the third time a Southeastern U.S. city has ever broached the 100-inch mark, according to a Weather Channel meteorologist. According to the Weather Channel’s Mike Seidel, Tallahassee recorded 104.18 inches in 1964 and New Orleans reached 102.37 inches in 1991.

ANN DOSS HELMS: CMS has now tested 3,000 water fixtures in 89 schools for lead. Here’s the tally (Charlotte Observer reports) — Combined with the first round, done in fall 2017, CMS has now tested fixtures at 89 of its oldest schools and found unsafe levels in 41 of them. Those fixtures have been removed, blocked off or filtered as soon as high lead levels were detected, officials say.

JOE MARUSAK: Charlotte sets tragic milestone as 28th pedestrian hit by a car dies (Charlotte Observer reports) — Over the past five years, nearly 90 pedestrians have died in Charlotte. A large majority of deaths have occurred in the past two years. Experts don’t know exactly what’s fueling the rise, but it’s part of a nationwide trend of increasing pedestrian deaths in urban areas.

JOE MARUSAK: ‘Sassy’ chimp adored by thousands over four decades ‘humanely euthanized’ at NC Zoo (Charlotte Observer reports) — Ruthie — one of the original chimpanzees at the N.C. Zoo — was “humanely euthanized” Thursday after nearly 40 years drawing the admiration of thousands. The 47-year-old chimp died of heart disease, zoo officials said in an obituary posted on the zoo’s website Friday.

Original N.C. Zoo chimpanzee troop member Ruthie dies at 47 (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- Ruthie, a chimpanzee that lived at the N.C. Zoo for nearly 40 years and was known for being silly, sassy and stubborn, was euthanized, the zoo announced. Ruthie, 47, arrived at the zoo in 1980. Only a few other animals have lived there longer — Maggie, another chimp, came in 1980 and the elephant C’sar came in 1978. “Because of her long life at the zoo, generations of guests will remember Ruthie,” said Zoo Director Pat Simmons. “And, most importantly, will see her as a symbol of how important it is to save this species in the wild.”

JAMES ROMM: ‘Soldier, Priest, and God’ Review: The Emperor Divine (Wall Street Journal book review) -- In “Soldier, Priest, and God,” F.S. Naiden has turned to his own special field, religion and ritual, for a thread to guide us through the Alexander labyrinth. It’s a promising notion, given the many points at which Alexander addressed himself to his gods or, perhaps, attempted to join their company. But it has to be said that the book falls short of its objective, a “religious portrait of Alexander.” Mr. Naiden, a professor of history at the University of North Carolina and the author of two scholarly studies of ancient animal sacrifice, does not have the narrative skill, or judgment in the handling of evidence, to pull off this difficult task.