Carolina Politics Online

The S.C. Highway Patrol is investigating several “not guilty” decisions in driving-under-the-influence cases against clients of state Sen. Brad Hutto, an Orangeburg attorney.

The S.C. Department of Public Safety’s Office of Professional Responsibility began looking into the matter at the request of Highway Patrol Troop 7 Commander Capt. C.N. Williamson, who sought the investigation after noticing that 10 DUI tickets were signed off as “not guilty.”

“This type of action by a trooper, finding driving-under-the-influence tickets not guilty without a trial, is improper; therefore I request that this matter be investigated further,” Williamson wrote in a Jan. 28 memo.

But Hutto says the situation is not unusual — the cases were all handled in court in the way they always have been.

“These cases were handled in court the way they were supposed to be,” Hutto said.

The Times and Democrat

I am not a lawyer so I don’t know how common this is, but it raised some eyebrows back at the Highway Patrol.  Hutto may be absolutely truthful in claiming there is no wrong doing here, but you have to question when all 10 of these tickets come from the same patrolman and the defendants are being represented by the same attorney who also happens to be a state legislator.

COLUMBIA — The state Senate on Tuesday devised a way to bypass stalled negotiations with the House over immigration reform.

After about an hour and a half of debate while supporters tried to gather votes on narrowing worker verification standards for private employers, the Senate adjourned.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell said it was necessary to avoid a filibuster and give supporters time overnight to swing some more votes in favor of eliminating the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form in the bill.

The Post and Courier

At least it appears they are trying to move forward on this.  If they’re going to do it, do it right.  An exceedingly strict bill has been very effective in Arizona.  There is no reason why we can’t have the same result.

Former state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel has received his federal prison assignment and reporting date.

Ravenel is scheduled to report to the Federal Correctional Institution at Jesup, in southeastern Georgia, by noon May 29, his attorney confirmed Wednesday.

The reporting date came as Ravenel in March asked to report to prison early, giving up on an extension that would have kept him free for an additional five months.

The Post and Courier

Chapman only vote against plan The Town of Tryon added about 400 new residents to its population Tuesday by approving the involuntary annexation of parts of Gillette Woods, Country Club Road and Harmon Field areas. Tryon Town Council held a special meeting Tuesday night to approve the annexation plan, with council member Austin Chapman being the only member to vote against the plan. The meeting lasted only about 15 minutes and took place before a crowd of about 70 people, some of who booed following the vote. “Hope ya’ll enjoy your job while you got it,” was one of the numerous statements heard from the audience once the meeting adjourned. “It won’t last long. We’ll see you in court.”

Tryon Daily Bulletin

Every member of the Tryon Town Council that voted for this needs to lose their council seats. Nothing sends a stronger message to a lawmaker than threatening their power.

FAYETTEVILLE (AP) — A Fayetteville lawmaker wants to put an end to a state law restricting sex education to teaching only abstinence in most North Carolina public schools.

Democrat Rep. Rick Glazier told a forum on sex education in Cumberland County schools Tuesday that children are needlessly exposed to cervical cancer and other diseases because some abstinence-only programs dispense inaccurate data.

The Fayetteville Observer also reports that Glazier said some of the programs teach that condoms usually fail to protect against HIV or pregnancy.

State law allows school districts to expand sex education beyond the abstinence-only approach, with public hearings.

The News-Record

I don’t know how much substance there is to Glazier’s claims.  I have never heard of abstinence only education resulting in cervical cancer.  I am also not aware of schools teaching children that condoms usually fail, however that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening in perhaps some more conservative areas of the state.  I do agree with Glazier’s overall position, however, that sex education should include birth control methods along side abstinence.  People have to be realistic here.  Teenagers are going to have sex.  You can’t stop it, so they may as well be taught the responsibility that goes with it.

Having said that, I have to problem with the current law as it now stands.  I think it should be a local decision.  If the community wants to teach it, fine.  If not, that’s fine too.  Because it is such a divisive issue, I also think that parents should have the option of restricting their children from attending those classes if they so desire.

The first-term senator from Salisbury is pushing to expand a long-dormant federal program — known as 287(g) — that allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to train local law authorities in enforcing the laws, using databases to check immigration status of arrestees and beginning deportation proceedings.

About 400,000 illegal immigrants live in North Carolina, according to a 2006 study conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center, a national nonpartisan research group based in Washington. Some state authorities and officials complain they take up space in jails and are a drain on state resources.

Five counties in the state, including Charlotte’s Mecklenburg County, are participating and have identified thousands of undocumented aliens in custody.

It’s popular with North Carolina Republicans — and more than a few Democrats — but not the two leaders in the state’s May 6 primary for the Democratic ticket challenging Dole.

“This is another unfunded federal mandate,” said state Sen. Kay Hagan of Greensboro. “We’re not saying that we need to be the IRS agents and collect federal taxes. Why are we now being asked on a state level to be immigration officers? The federal government must provide the necessary employees to do this job.”

Dole noted the program is voluntary, adding that she has supported additional funding for federal immigration officials.

The Herald-Sun

Hagan is correct to a degree. The Feds should be handling this and not pushing the responsibility off to the states, but there is nothing wrong with allowing states to enforce this issue within their own state lines. It is a popular program in North Carolina and the reality is right now the Federal Government isn’t doing anywhere near enough to deal with the problem and based on the possible successors for Bush, it doesn’t appear that will change in the next administration.

GREENSBORO — Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jim Neal said Tuesday he is the only party hopeful capable of beating Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole, dismissing the candidate leading the race — Kay Hagan — as just another political insider.

Hagan, a state senator from Greensboro, has a built a wide lead in both polling and fundraising leading to the May 6 primary. She has the support of the state Democratic leadership.

But Neal said in the race’s only televised debate that he can beat Dole because he offers something different.

“We have to offer a contrast,” Neal said. “Democrats win on contrast and standing firm on values. And that’s what I’m about.”

Charlotte Observer

I don’t mean to disparage Mr. Neal here, but I think he is fooling himself if he believes that only he can beat Dole. Neal hasn’t been able to raise anything close to sufficient funds for this race. I think it’s unlikely that he’ll win Tuesday’s primary, but even if he does, how does he expect to mount a significant challenge to Elizabeth Dole without money?

RALEIGH — Pat McCrory criticized a Superior Court judge Wednesday for ruling last week that four sex offenders shouldn’t be subject to lifetime satellite monitoring.

McCrory, Charlotte’s mayor and a Republican candidate for governor, called on the state to appeal the judge’s ruling.

“Every day the Attorney General delays appealing this case, more children are in danger,” he said.

Jennifer Canada, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Roy Cooper, said Cooper believes dangerous sex offenders should be in prison, not just monitored by satellite.

Charlotte Observer

I’d take it further than Cooper. I think child sex offenses should be capitol crimes and punishable by death. These people are a danger to whatever community they are in and they cannot be trusted to not commit theses heinous acts again. We shouldn’t have to pay to eletronically monitor these people or put them in prison for the rest of their lives.