Republicans to Perdue: check

It was interesting to watch the new GOP leadership yesterday plan and respond to Gov. Bev Perdue's vetoes (see Wednesday's column), and to maneuver on the more immediately important issue of unemployment checks for 37,000 people. Legislators have smartly / jerkily? tied that to a continuing resolution with a 13 percent cut on a budget that doesn't start until July.

It would indeed seem a checkmate, unless Perdue can prevail upon the federal government not to require the legislative change, which surely a president can do if he can bomb Libya. Or Perdue may veto the bill, and try to win the public relations war that follows.

After House Bill 383 passed yesterday, Speaker of the House Thom Tillis said Republicans had offered Democrats a 4 month continuing resolution with a 13 percent spending cut, instead of the full year that passed. He did not tell reporters this deal would have required Gov. Perdue's promise not to veto the bill, but surely that was expected.


The speaker also said Gov. Perdue called him Thursday morning and "I made it clear I'm open to meeting with her." He told reporters he would
hope to see a member at the governor's staff at all important public legislative meetings.


Tillis with reporters Thursday evening.

On charter schools, Tillis said Democrats walked away from negotiations, "we didn't." He said he expects to reach a deal on the employee health care plan, which Perdue one of two bills Perdue vetoed Wednesday evening.

If Democrats rejected the four-month compromise, you have to think Perdue is willing to veto this conjoined bill Republicans sent her. Tillis had some tortured-logic story about the CR and the benefit extension being connected because both give people "certainty" about the future, but rationalizations are largely irrelevant at this point.

The ball is in the governor's court.

A few other pictures from yesterday after the jump. They're not particularly technically proficient (potential employers), but they give a sense of the controlled tension often on display Thursday at the General Assembly.







(1) Sen. Approp. Chair Richard Stevens and President Pro Tem Phil Berger.








(2) Leadership team: Stevens, Berger and sens. Bob Rucho, Pete Brunstetter and Tom Apodaca head out together during a Senate recess.







(3) Apodaca in the House, talking to speaker's chief of staff Charles Thomas.








(4) Tillis from the speaker's dais, with Thomas and principal clerk Denise Weeks.








(5) Tills, talking to reporters after the House adjourned Thursday.