RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — In a win for their party, North Carolina Republican lawmakers formally passed a redrawn Congressional map meant to give them an extra seat in Washington, D.C., something they say is heeding the call from President Donald Trump.
House Democrats said they didn’t get the time they deserved to fully debate this.
Wednesday’s voting Session was supposed start at 10:30 a.m. However, it didn’t actually start until around 11:30 a.m., at which point Republican House Speaker Destin Hall said the vote would happen by 12:30 p.m.
Democrats said they were cut off unfairly on an important vote with nationwide consequences.
“The House has actually done a great job of allowing debate, I don’t know what changed today,” House Democratic Minority Leader Robert Reives said.
The map changes Districts 1 and 3 in an effort to oust current District 1 Representative, Democrat Don Davis and get Republicans an extra seat in Washington D.C.
State Republicans have been clear from the start in saying they drew this map to heed the call from President Trump who has asked red states to get more Republican representation on Capitol Hill.
“I love President Trump and I sustain him as the leader of our nation, I support and sustain him as the current leader of the Republican party,” Republican Representative Jimmy Dixon said on the House floor on Wednesday. “He’s not my king, and I don’t think he wants to be your king.”
The map passed in the Senate on Tuesday before making it to the House. Republican Senator Ralph Hise says he drew the map by himself, meaning no House members had a hand in it.
Democratic leaders say that’s unprecedented.
“I’ve been here 11 years, I’ve never known a map at any point in time to get drawn where at least the House wasn’t consulted,” Representative Reives said.
On the House floor, Democrats carried a stack of public comments entered into a portal.
They say more than 99% of those comments were against the map, and that Republicans are ignoring their own constituents and passing the map anyway.
“If you take the time to enter a public comment, you’re asked for a public comment, and it’s not considered by your legislator or by the body in general, I can’t help but think that starts to erode folks’ trust,” Representative Beth Helfrich said.
CBS 17 read many of the comments. Some were from self-identified “former Republicans” who said they didn’t agree with this move from their own party.
Republican legislators, though, say the process was transparent and straight forward.
“I support the constitutional authority of this legislature to legally redraw our Cognressional districts,” Representative Dixon said.
Democrats said Republicans are focusing on power grabs while the legislature, controlled by Republicans in both chambers, hasn’t passed a state budget or fully funded Medicaid.
“It doesn’t have to be like this,” Representative Phil Rubin said in a message to North Carolinians on the floor. “Your state legislature does not have to be an utter mess. You deserve a legislature that works together on driving down the highest healthcare costs in the country, you deserve one that funds your schools, you deserve a budget that gets passed.”
Governor Josh Stein posted a video on X saying the legislature failed North Carolinians. He went on to say Republicans haven’t even passed a budget yet and should focus on other priorities like that. The Governor does not have the authority to veto the new map.
Deana Harley
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