I generally find slice of life descriptions to be interesting, even fascinating, and this one is no exception. It’s from NC state senator Jeff Jackson (D), describing the recent emergency legislative session – wherein the emergency is the GOP loss of the governorship – and is published in OrthoCarolina:
Protesters are chanting.
Lobbyists are running around, asking if anyone knows what’s going on.
Legislators from the minority party are speculating, caffeinating, reacting.
Legislators from the majority party are ducking in and out of conference rooms, saying little, and generally avoiding the press.
It was a legislative ambush. …
Inside the ambush, there are actually two fights going on.
The political fight is between Democrats and Republicans. But the legislative fight is between Republicans in the House and Republicans in the Senate, because they control both chambers. The way we calculate probabilities around here is by figuring where the common ground is between those two groups.
So, I have a question for the Democrats. Because the court threw out the gerrymandered districts and has mandated a special legislative election, everyone in the legislature faces an election some time in 2017.
Suppose the Democrats win.
Will they be just as punitive to their brethren as just happened now? I’d assume some or all of this legislation would be dismantled – over the shrieks of the GOP. But would they go further and indulge in their own bit of madness?
Or would they appeal to the better natures of the electorate?
