Legislators recap session over breakfast
By Steve Herring
Published in News on September 17, 2017 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
State Sen. Louis Pate, center, points to maps showing what the new district lines will look like. At left is state Rep. Larry Bell, and at right is Rep. John Bell.
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
State Rep. John Bell, left, discusses the House and Senate maps. Under the new maps, Rep. Jimmy Dixon, center, would no longer represent Wayne County. At right is Sen. Louis Pate.
State. Rep. Larry Bell said the state could probably do just as well creating legislative district maps by throwing a bunch of maps out and letting people reach in and grab some out or by just letting some kindergarten children draw them.
"It probably would come out just about as well because I have never seen anything quite like it," Bell said. "I don't think it is going to change until we find someway to do it independently and in a nonpartisan basis."
Bell's suggestions drew a round of laughter Friday morning during the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce's End of Session Legislative Breakfast held at the Lane Tree Conference Center.
The proposed change would cost Wayne County two legislators -- Republican Rep. Jimmy Dixon of Mount Olive in District 4 and Democratic Sen. Don Davis of Snow Hill in District 5.
Wayne County will continue to be in House District 21 now represented by Bell, a Democrat from Clinton, and House District 10 represented by Republican John Bell of Goldsboro.
The county also is in Senate District 7 which is represented by Republican Louis Pate of Mount Olive.
The new maps must still pass review by a federal three-judge panel.
Larry Bell, who has announced his retirement, said he is in his 17th year in the legislature.
"Every time there is an election my district has changed," he said. "This time it has changed so much. I think they just decided they needed to reach into Sampson County and find where Larry lives and put him in there and take care of that completely. I lost all of Duplin County.
"But I think we are always going to have these problems as long as we draw the maps the way we are drawing them -- a partisan thing. I am not saying it was done to draw me out literally. If the Democrats were in charge you would see different maps and it probably would be to their advantage. I don't think we will ever get so that everybody will be satisfied."
Bell said if he had the chance he probably would try to draw maps so there would be a Democratic majority drawing even more laughter and a comment from Dixon indicating that is what Democrats did for 120 years.
He said even though he is retiring, he plans to remain active in the political process doing good for people particularly in the areas of education, agriculture.
Dixon said the General Assembly produced some very good redistricting maps, but that he also believed that they will be challenged in court -- very likely all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"I know everyone up here at the table," he said. "There is not a single person up here that does not put the best interest of all North Carolina citizens."
There are things that are applicable in Wayne County that are true for Mecklenburg County -- economic stability, quality education, doing those things that foster good family relationships, he said.
"For my part, I have had some folks call me because the new districts they have assigned to me takes me out of Wayne County," Dixon said.
Dixon said he would never lose his voice in the General Assembly for Wayne County regardless of what the district lines look like.
There has been a lot of talk about independent redistricting commissions, Dixon said.
The best redistricting commission that exists is the voters who can be voted out and sent home, Dixon said.
"If you think you can put together a group of people who is somehow going to leave behind what their thoughts and feelings are about any issue is just absolutely impossible. I think the way the forefathers set it up is good enough, and I will continue to support the manner in which we district now."
Davis said he wanted to look at redistricting a procedural and personal basis.
He said he did not know if the answer is independent redistricting because of concerned that he has not seen a process or proposal that would keep some sort of political infiltration into that process.
"What I would be concerned about is masking something in the name of independent redistricting," he said.
Davis labeled as "absolutely ridiculous" a new norm that maps are redrawn and then litigated for the next 10 years.
"Millions and millions and millions of dollars later, taxpayer dollars, all of it going to attorneys to litigate these cases just to get back to another court case," Davis said. "Over a 10-year period now it is time to -- guess what -- redistrict again.
"This is a broken process that makes no sense, and I believe we could take a lot of this money and do a lot of other things with it. I think we need a process that we could at least agree, even if there is a partisan element, that they are constitutional maps and now let's vote."
Davis urged the audience to look at the maps because in a few days they are going to change again, he said.
"And you are going to pay millions of dollars for those changes," he said.
On a personal note, Davis said Wayne County was like home to him because his father's family grew up in Goldsboro. Davis he literally did, too.
"All aspects of this community have influenced and shaped my life," Davis said. "It will be hard not to represent Wayne County. Wayne County gave me my start on the state level, and I want to thank you for that and the support along the way."
Davis said he could not fathom the thought of not representing Wayne County and that he would always work hard for this community.
Pate pointed out the state House and Senate district maps that lined the areas behind the legislators and invited audience members to come up and examine the maps following the programs to see how the Ouija board operated.
"It is going to make a difference in Wayne County," he said. "It really will. It will make major changes."
John Bell said he served as a vice chairman of the redistricting committee and chaired an off-site public information session on the proposed new districts.
Bell said he would be limited on his comments because of the pending court case involving the new maps.
"This panel is going to look different if the maps hold up the next time that we do this," he said.
Bell joked the panels would be shorter and a lot less entertaining.