The Right of Representation in the Legislature

In the stifling summer humidity of Philadelphia a couple of centuries ago, a group of men put their John Hancock’s (one of them literally) on a document that many Americans claim to hold dear. Those brave and principled men pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor when they declared war against King George III.

The Declaration of Independence lists charges and specifications against the King’s government. In one of those counts of the indictment, the Declaration enumerates the right of the people to representation in the legislature. They described that right to be “inestimable to the people and formidable to tyrants only.” They charged the King specifically with denying that right to large groups of colonists by doing things like not notifying delegates of times and places for meetings and votes on important issues.

Fast forward to September 2019.  The North Carolina General Assembly, which should have come home in early July from their 2019 work, remained in session, as Republicans in the House and the Senate did not have the votes to override Governor Cooper’s veto of the state budget. The leadership (Phil Berger and Tim Moore) had rejected overtures from the governor to negotiate on Medicaid expansion, teacher and state employee pay raises, and other items important to the people of our state.

But House Speaker Moore had a clever plan. He told his Democrat counterparts in the House there would be no vote on the morning of September 11, allowing Members to attend 9/11 commemoration events. Then the House Republicans met anyway, called for the vote, and overrode the Governor’s veto.

What does that have to do with the Declaration of Independence? Well, Rep. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) was an eager participant in the shenanigans on September 11 that denied the citizens of the 119^th House district (Haywood, Jackson, and Swain) our right of representation in the legislature. And now Mr. Corbin is seeking to represent the 50^th Senate District, which includes all of House District 119.

Mr. Corbin, please explain why you want to be our Senator, after denying us our right to be represented in the NC House on September 11, 2019. I’m sure you’ll say that what you and Speaker Moore did on September 11 was perfectly legal within the rules of the House. But We the People see your house rules the same way those delegates in Philadelphia saw King George III’s house rules. And we know exactly what you think of the residents of House District 119.