WATKINS: What Tuesday’s election means for state employees and retirees
WATKINS: What Tuesday’s election means for state employees and retirees
Yesterday’s election was historic by every measure. I want to take a minute to share where things stand and what the results mean for state employees and retirees.
The General Assembly
For the first time in 15 years, Democrats will control the N.C. House by a wide margin — one vote shy of a supermajority. In the Senate, Republicans held on to control but the Democrats narrowed the count to 26-24. Both chambers will look different when lawmakers return to Raleigh in January.
The tax amendments
Both tax amendments passed. Amendment 2 writes a 3.5% cap on the state income tax rate into the North Carolina Constitution, and Amendment 3 limits how much local governments can raise property taxes. The income tax is the largest source of money in the state budget, from which raises, COLAs, employer contributions to the retirement system, and agency funding come. With these caps in place, critical needs for state employees and retirees are now in real danger.
EMPAC endorsements
EMPAC endorsed in only two races this year, We’re excited to report that Democrat Ian Baltutis won his race in House District 63. Our other endorsement, Republican Charles Taylor, lost his race against an independent candidate in House District 51. We chose not to get more heavily involved for a simple reason: neither party’s incumbents fought for state employees and retirees the way you deserve to be fought for by the people you elect.
We endorsed four candidates for the Wake County Board of Commissioners in response to the WakeMed/Atrium merger debacle. Three of those four candidates won — Mona Singh, Christine Kushner, and Vickie Adamson — while John Adcock came up short. The three winners and Tara Waters, who voted against the merger, constitutes a majority bloc that will demand transparency moving forward.
What comes next
SEANC is ready to roll up our sleeves and work with anyone prepared to make state employees and retirees a priority and to properly fund the agencies doing the vital work of government. That has always been our approach, and it will not change.
Be sure to listen to this week’s The SEANC View Podcast, available Friday, for a full recap of the election.
