Last week, I wrote about controversial Senate Bill 3 that was passed in the recent special session. The bill makes it easier for a Republican to win the upcoming race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court by preventing another candidate from running as a Republican and splitting the Republican vote. For more detail and the text of the bill, use this link.
News outlets caught on to something during the vote. A few Republican legislators in competitive districts broke with their party and voted against the bill. Wesley Meredith was one of them.
Meredith is the definition of a party-line voter. As the “Majority Whip” in the Senate, his job is to keep others on that same line. He was one of only five senators to score a 100% rating from Civitas for his “conservative effectiveness” in 2017. So what gives???
There’s only one thing that can explain Meredith’s novel attempt at moderation: he’s worried. His district has been “un-gerrymandered” by the federal courts, and now he must appeal to swing voters if he wants to beat Kirk deViere in the fall.
Senate Bill 3 has been vetoed by Governor Cooper. There will be a vote in Raleigh on Saturday, August 4 to override Cooper and make the bill law.
Do you think Meredith will side with Cooper or have another change of heart? I have a feeling he might stay on vacation this Saturday.
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