Editorial: Speaker Moore's 'half-filled chamber win' is empty victory

Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019 -- North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore is not interested in the participation of all duly elected members of the state House - just those few who happen to agree with him. Regardless of what the representatives of the people want, Moore is willing to do anything to get his way.

Posted 4:40 p.m. Sep 26, 2019 — Updated 5:49 p.m. Sep 26, 2019

CBC Editorial: Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019; Editorial #8467

The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company.

As state House Speaker Time Moore speaks more and more about his successful veto overrides, we become increasingly convinced he has abandoned all perspective.

So determined to win is he, that he has lost sight of his chief leadership responsibility -- to operate an open and honest House that respects the value of all citizens’ votes.

But, is that what he’s done?

He lays in wait to do the publics’ business when certain members are absent.

That’s right. He’s not interested in the participation of all duly elected members of the state House – just those few who happen to agree with him. Regardless of what the representatives of the people want, Moore is willing to do anything to get his way!

Everybody likes a real winner. But it is how you play and win that becomes the legacy. Moore’s fairness-be-damned approach will haunt him. There is no morality to a victory when the other side believed that there would be no game.

House minority leader Darren Jackson believed that he had been told by House Rules Committee Chairman Rep David Lewis that there would be no votes in the morning session. Jackson then informed his caucus.

So, did Lewis unintentionally mislead Jackson or was it a deliberate act to give out fake information and fool Democrats? It doesn’t matter.

On the morning of Sept. 11, nearly every Democrat was absent during the House session – going about other business and assuming any votes would come during the afternoon session. By contrast, nearly EVERY Republican was on the House floor.

In just a few minutes, notes are passed and sudden votes are taken. Two of the governor’s vetoes are overridden.

Is that the way a legislature that represents ALL North Carolinians should work? Is it OK to “win” when the other side is misled and doesn’t show up?

Tim Moore needs to rescind the veto override votes.

Failing to do it gives legitimacy to the view that the whole thing was a purposeful scheme. That Moore was going to engineer an override of the governor’s budget bill veto regardless of the cost, ethics or integrity of his office and that of the General Assembly.

It is a previously unfathomed low in the conduct of the state legislature.