When the Republican-controlled state Senate voted last month to repeal the Racial Justice Act, the bill went to Gov. Bev Perdue, a Democrat, who is widely expected to veto the thing.
I asked her about her plans for the measure this morning.
“I’m working on it. Obviously we’re looking at the calendar and seeing if we do veto it, when we would come back, and if we don’t veto it what the parameters and effects are,” Perdue said.
Perdue has until Dec. 29 to veto or sign the measure before it goes into law without her taking action. If she were to veto it on that date, she would then have to bring the General Assembly back into session within 10 days. That would bring the honorables back to town in early January.
The informed rumble around the legislative building is that if lawmakers came back to town to handle the veto override, they might also deal with the Cherokee gaming compact and a Hurricane Irene recovery package while they’re here.
Not related in any way, but noted for the record:
Asked about the redistricting lawsuits, Perdue reiterated her support for a nonpartisan redistricting commission.
“It’s really time with North Carolina’s increasing population … (for) a nonpartisan outside redistricting commission. Several other states are moving in that way. I think it’s really important to try to get the politics out of it so that at the end of the day people have somebody that they can vote for, that they know and that represents their common interests.”
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