Category: Opinion

Offering individual opinions on the state and its politics

Coaching the Lawmakers

UNC champion basketball coach Roy Williams scored a classy three-pointer when he spoke before the NC General Assembly recently, as reported in The Herald-Sun on May 5. The reprint of a Fayetteville Observer editorial noted that Williams, at a joint session of the Legislature held to honor his NCAA championship team, took the microphone to talk for a moment about sacrifices “toward a common goal.” “What you do to help our state is the most important thing going on,” Williams was quoted as explaining to the august elected body….   Continue Reading »

Written on May 8, 2017 by Nelda Holder

Gun-Totin’ Debate Debate in Cherokee County

Cherokee County must have some rip-roaring commissioners’ meetings, at least based on a recent article in the Cherokee Scout that discussed state Sen. Jim Davis’s efforts to right an apparent wrong in state law Cherokee County commissioners can’t carry concealed weapons during commission meetings or in the combined courthouse/administrative facility that serves the county. I mean, over the years, Jackson County has had its share of gadflies and disputers, folks who would interrupt, hold-up signs and make a general huzzah and nuisance of themselves, while…   Continue Reading »

Written on April 25, 2017 by Nelda Holder

A Discussion of Tradition: “Business Progressivism and Social Conservatism”

It might help to understand the politics of this state if one reads this column by Rob Christensen, appropriately (ruefully so) appearing in the April 1 edition of Raleigh’s News & Observer: “Business Drive for Compromise on HB2 Follows An NC Tradition.”

Written on April 3, 2017 by Nelda Holder

What’s Not to Love/Hate About HB2 Repeal?

As the state of North Carolina plunges into HB2’s emotional repeal repercussions, it is essential to look closely at exactly what just happened in the North Carolina Statehouse. A “compromise” bill (HB 142, now Session Law 2017-4) entitled “An Act to Reset S.L. 2016-3” was ratified by a vote of 32 to 16 in the NC Senate (with 2 excused absences), and a vote of 70 to 48 in the NC House (2 excused absences), with a mix of Republicans and Democrats on either side…   Continue Reading »

Written on March 31, 2017 by Nelda Holder

NC’s Solar Capacity Ranked Second in the Nation

The potential for solar energy capacity in the state of North Carolina is … bright. But it would be brighter if the state’s legislative leaders and Utilities Commission were not implementing policies to hamper its development, according to a joint opinion piece by June Blotnick and Dr. H. Kim Lyerly in the News & Observer (March 27).  Presenting an overview of the areas in which solar energy might benefit the state, the two writers offer an invitation to share in the recommendations of the 2017 NC…   Continue Reading »

Written on March 29, 2017 by Nelda Holder

Nonpartisan Team Forms to Investigate State’s Role in Former Torture Program

The North Carolina Commission of Inquiry on Torture (NCCIT), recently launched as a nonpartisan, nongovernmental body made up of 10 commissioners, will be investigating the role this state played in US policies of “enhanced interrogation” and torture following the attacks of September 11. Attorney Frank Goldsmith, a co-chair of the committee, explains the commission’s purpose and goals in today’s News & Observer. The investigation will include an inquiry into the “extent to which North Carolina state resources and tax dollars were used to facilitate and support the U.S. torture…   Continue Reading »

Written on March 22, 2017 by Nelda Holder
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  • Mission

    PoliticallyPurpleNC examines -- from a nonpartisan angle -- the legislative decisions of the North Carolina General Assembly and their potential effects on the citizens of the state. It does so in a setting that includes context -- historical background and social implications. PPNC encourages rational, nonpartisan evaluation and advocacy for the good of the whole.
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