Yeesh, North Carolina is trying hard. First it became the only state to have not gotten the "We're Legalizing Gay Marriage" now memo and illegalized it, then they outlawed measuring global warming, under the ostrich theory that if they can't see it, they're beaches aren't disappearing. Now North Carolina wishes you and your relatives a Merry July 3rd by overriding its governor's veto defund Planned Parenthood and accidentally legalizing fracking. Are they eastern seaboard's Arizona yet?
NC voted last year to defund Planned Parenthood of state dollars, but one of them librul activist judges (probably related to John Roberts) overruled the legislature, saying it was illegal to target a specific organization. It only took the NC lege only 12 months to figure out a loophole around that one: this year's budget "prevents the state's Health and Human Services department from contracting with 'private providers' of family planning services -- effectively, but not explicitly, singling out Planned Parenthood."
North Carolina Democratic Governor Bev Purdue, who's probably shopping around for another state right about now, vetoed the budget, but the legislature overrode her move on Tuesday, defunding PP of an estimated $200,000. Planned Parenthood was already prohibited from using state or federal monies to perform abortions; now, under the "money is fungible" theory that any dime given to an abortion provider offsets their abortion costs SOMEHOW, they won't be able to provide walk-in services.
At least they intentionally did that. Becky Carney, a Democratic legislator in the North Carolina House of Representatives, lobbied her colleagues to vote against a fracking bill which she then accidentally passed by pressing the wrong button at the last minute:
Carney pointed out that she has voted against fracking in the past, and said she spent the day lobbying other Democrats to uphold the veto of Senate Bill 820.
"And then I push the green button," she said.
Just after the vote, Carney's voice could be heard on her microphone, saying "Oh my gosh. I pushed green."
Carney said she turned her light on, but Speaker Thom Tillis would not recognize her, so she went to the front to speak to him.
"I made a mistake, and I tried to get recognized to change it, as people have been doing all night on other bills, and it was too late," Carney said. "Because it would have changed the outcome of the vote."
Under House rules, members can change their vote if they've made a mistake - unless the change would affect the bill's passage. (Via NC Capital).
D'oh. Maybe she can get Purdue to "accidentally" veto it on her way to a better state.
Now, North Carolina, you're still not the East Coast's Arizona. You still need to threaten to kick Obama—but only Obama—off your ballot because his and only his birth is in question, and if you could come up with some way to harrass any dark-skinned non-basketball player residents on a consistent basis, that would go a long way. Ooo! And stop teaching slavery CUZ IT'S DIVISIVE.
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