North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JANUARY 5, 2012

CONTACT NC LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS SENATOR FLOYD B. MCKISSICK JR. CHAIR 919-715-5723 nclbc@ncleg.net

GOP Led General Assembly Shows Little Compassion for African Americans in North Carolina
The Republicans Legislation and Treatment of African-American leaders are alarming
Raleigh, NC Since taking control of the General Assembly last November, Republicans have shown little compassion on issues relating to African Americans in North Carolina. They have pursued a bill requiring people to show photo ID before voting. African American voters in North Carolina are almost twice as likely not to have a government-issued photo ID as white voters. Many elderly and low-income voters also lack the ID that would be required by this bill. GOP leaders also are working to repeal the unprecedented Racial Justice Act, which seeks to eliminate racial discrimination in death penalty cases by allowing death-row inmates to appeal their cases using statistical evidence showing discrimination in their sentencing. In addition, they have made extreme and unnecessary cuts to thousands of teacher and teacher aide positions. Republicans also wont act on Gov. Perdues request to devote an additional $30 million to the nationally recognized Pre-K program for at-risk students. That money could send an additional 6,300 at-risk 4-year-olds to school without raising taxes, creating a budget imbalance or affecting other educational monies. The Republicans budgeting failure has left a $150 million hole in Medicaid, which provides critical health care services to the elderly, the disabled, and the most needy North Carolinians.

The Republicans have also chosen to wield their power to disempower African Americans with positions of prominence in state agencies. Last year, Marilyn Chism, an African American, was abruptly ousted as head of the General Assemblys Fiscal Research Division. A move apparently made for no other reason than to flex their political muscle. Recently Lynn Holmes, an African American who serves as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for the Division of Employment Security in the Perdue Administration, has been unfairly targeted by Republican leadership, which referred to her as an embarrassment and incompetent. Ms. Holmes, the former Chairwoman of the Employment Security Commission, has a law degree from Georgetown University and a MBA from Duke University, and has served as counsel to former Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate Howard Baker and former Executive with Bell South. Holmes work here in North Carolina is an example of true dedication. However, Senator Bob Rucho (R-Charlotte) referred to her as embarrassing and incompetent in a recent Revenue Laws Commission meeting where she was forced to swear under oath that she was telling the truth while no other person who provided similar testimony was forced to take an oath before providing information to the committee. The Republicans treatment of these employees and their legislation show an overall disinterest and lack of respect for Black people in North Carolina. The question is, when are they going to stop attacking Black North Carolinians and focus on job creation and getting this economy moving?

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