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You’re going to hear a lot about strength from Gov. Josh Stein. It was the center of his campaign messaging and will be the theme of his inauguration on January 11.
He’s going to need all the strength he can muster. He inherits a state government looking at a pricey effort to rebuild Western North Carolina, and he’ll face a Republican-dominated legislature that stripped power from the governor before Stein could even take office.
The Assembly talked to four former North Carolina governors—two Democrats and two Republicans—about the headwinds he is facing and their advice for the newest member of their small fraternity.
“He’ll find that this is by far the best job in politics,” said Republican former Gov. Jim Martin.
Pat McCrory, also a Republican, had more of a warning: “He has to make sure his ego doesn’t overestimate his landslide victory.”
‘The Best Job in Politics’
We asked four former governors for their advice to Josh Stein as he becomes the state’s next chief executive. They agreed that he should focus on rebuilding Western North Carolina—and that battles with the legislature are inevitable.
In Case You Missed It
State lawmakers late last year passed legislation containing a third round of disaster-relief measures—and they also stuck in a slew of unrelated provisions aimed at chipping away at the governor’s power and reshaping the judiciary.
Former Gov. Roy Cooper and Gov. Josh Stein filed suit against Republican legislative leaders over the package, focusing on the law’s changes to the State Highway Patrol. The legislation removes the highway patrol from the N.C. Public Safety Department and makes it a stand-alone entity no longer under the governor’s oversight.
There’s a lot more in the legislation, including changes to how the state crafts energy policies and who oversees elections in North Carolina.
Here’s a look at what else is in Senate Bill 382.
Have a news tip for our team? You can reach us at scoops@theassemblync.com.
Back in the News
Roy Cooper oversaw 27 executions as attorney general of North Carolina, but for most of his time as governor, he was tight-lipped about the death penalty.
Before Cooper’s term ended, Michael Hewlett reported for The Assembly, the North Carolina Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty and other advocates campaigned for him to issue a mass commutation of sentences for all 136 death-row inmates.
On December 31, Cooper weighed in on the topic. He said he had commuted the sentences of 15 people on death row to life without the possibility of parole.
Among them was Hasson Bacote, who had sought to have his sentence commuted under the Racial Justice Act, Hewlett reported last year. Bacote was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 2009. His attorneys argued in his Racial Justice Act claim that Johnston County’s history of racism tarnished any chance that Bacote had at getting a fair trial there.
What We’re Reading
Fixer Upper: A state agency recommended a veterans home in Fayetteville be renovated and eventually reopened, via CityView. CityView and The Assembly reported that the home had abruptly closed after years of problems.
G.I. Jimmy: The Pentagon approved funding last year for content involving YouTube star MrBeast, who was slated to lead a humanitarian effort in Puerto Rico, Rolling Stone reports. The agreement was ultimately canceled.
Guarantee It: Applications open in January for Durham County’s experiment with guaranteed basic income, per The N&O. The county will randomly select 125 families to receive $750 a month for a year.
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