RALEIGH – Republican leaders announced last week that instead of working through the normal legislative channels, including offering the minority party chance for input and allowing opportunities for amendments, they are ramming through their budget in a conference report with no Democratic input, no chance for amendments, and no opportunity to clean up any mistakes or hear from the public.
The reasons for this move are crystal clear – Republicans are terrified of facing voters this fall and they’re terrified of taking votes on proposals for better teacher pay and tax fairness. They even say so themselves:
“I wouldn’t doubt the desire by the corner offices to get us in and out of here pretty quickly. Pretty much everyone has an opponent in the fall. You can’t campaign while you’re in session.” - Rep. Craig Horn
Tens of thousands of people are marching in the streets to protest Republicans’ backwards policies that rig the system in favor of corporations and wealthy campaign donors over teachers and our middle class. People are fired up, paying attention, and ready to vote them out of office.
