THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 11, 1994 TAG: 9411110634
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 130 lines
When Rep. John Nichols went to bed shortly after midnight Tuesday, he assumed the Republican Party had added 10 seats in the state House of Representatives.
He was awakened a few hours later by a telephone call from a colleague who asked what committee Nichols, a Craven County mortgage banker, would like to head.
``At first I thought it was a joke,'' Nichols said. It wasn't.
The Republicans had added 36 seats, winning 67 of 120 seats in the House and taking control for the first time this century. Now the Republicans are faced with a task more daunting than winning legislative races - the task of governing.
Nichols, 49, first elected to the House in 1993 and considering a future candidacy for lieutenant governor, was reminded of the joke about the dog that chases cars day after day. One day, the car stops, the dog catches the car and is left with a dilemma: Now that he has caught the car, what does the dog do with it?
``Well, the first thing you do is don't let the thing run over you,'' Nichols said in an interview in his office in New Bern earlier this week.
``The second thing you do is don't drive the thing in a ditch once you get behind the wheel.''
Are the Republicans ready to govern the state House?
``That's a good question,'' said Rep. Jean Preston, R-Carteret. ``Yes, I think so.''
Preston, Nichols and other coastal Republican legislators said this week that they'll be ready to go when the General Assembly convenes in January. ``We will be prepared on Jan. 25,'' Nichols said.
But one political scientist disagreed.
``Gridlock city,'' predicted Ted Arrington, a political science professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
``The Republicans are not ready to govern,'' said Arrington, a political analyst and former Republican who is now a registered independent. ``They are used to throwing rocks.''
``It's amateur hour, folks,'' he told the Associated Press in an interview earlier this week. ``Let's see if the amateurs can do better than the pros. They might not do much worse, but this is going to be interesting.''
``Interesting'' and ``fascinating'' are words used by coastal Republicans to describe their newly found power.
``It's all much more complicated than at first blush,'' said Rep. W. Robert Grady, R-Onslow, House minority whip and dean of the coastal Republican delegation. ``It's a fascinating situation and it's one no living North Carolinian has ever been through.''
North Carolinians can expect some hesitancy and a few missteps from Republicans who have been excluded from the leadership in past years, he said.
``Our people have not had theopportunity to prepare. We have not had the opportunity to be committee chairmen,'' said Grady. ``But the people of North Carolina said they wanted us to have the opportunity to do it.''
Democratic observers said both the GOP and the Democrats have much to learn.
``There will be a lot of people in control who haven't had a gavel in their hands before,'' said Al Boyce, spokesman for the state Democratic Party. ``It will be a big learning process both for the Republicans and for the Democrats who will be on the back row. Both sides are going to have to jump in.''
Members of both parties say the changes in the legislature with a Republican-controlled House will be more than just cosmetic questions of who will head what committees.
``I think you changed more than the people, I think you changed philosophies,'' said Grady.
During campaigns statewide, Republicans focused on finances and crime in their attack on the Democrats, bashing them for not cutting taxes despite having a $1.2 billion surplus this year. And the crime issue returned, despite the special session that focused on crime.
Republican House members said Wednesday that the demise of the Democrats in that chamber will likely effect several issues of particular interest to coastal residents.
Some coastal Republicans say the prospect of lawmakers enacting a license for coastal sports fishermen has diminished with the GOP in charge in the House. And they say new GOP House leaders may want to see changes in the membership of coastal study committees, such as the new oyster advisory panel and commercial license moratorium study committee.
House Republicans said that chamber will likely see debate and a vote on the House floor on the gubernatorial veto, a statewide lottery and other issues that Democratic leaders have kept bottled up in committee for several sessions.
Republican legislative candidates, following the lead of GOP congressional candidates, offered a ``contract'' with state voters that promised a $200 million cut in personal income taxes, more local control of schools, term limits and other changes.
These issues in the contract are the ones that will come to the forefront in the House in the next session, Nichols said. MEMO: The Associated Press contributed to this report.The Associated Press
contributed to this report. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
GOP ISSUES FOR 1995
Following the lead of GOP congressional candidates, state
Republicans on Oct. 4 established their priorities in a document
named ``A New Contract.'' Looking back at those promises, along with
conversations with GOP legislators, provides a glimpse of Republican
priorities over the next two years and Democratic programs that may
be in jeopardy.
Tax cut: Republicans promised a $200 million tax cut and a limit on
government spending.
Constitutional changes: Republicans can be expected to push for term
limits for politicians and the veto power for the governor.
Crime: Republicans probably will call for more punishment and less
emphasis on prevention. The GOP agenda will likely include more new
prisons and removing the cap on the state's prison population. Also
look for Republicans to push legislation that will give homeowners
more rights when dealing with intruders.
Voter initiatives: Republicans pledged support to a proposal giving
voters the power to place laws and constitutional amendments on the
ballot like in California.
Welfare reform: Look for Republicans to work to deny benefits to
unwed mothers and fathers who don't cooperate in establishing
paternity and workfare programs requiring all able-bodied welfare
recipients to work.
Health care reform. Don't look for Republicans to push a
comprehensive reform of health care.
Smart Start: Gov. James B. Hunt Jr.'s pet project for young children
faced tough opposition from conservative Christian groups when it
was first proposed. Look for Republicans to target funding for this
program and other Hunt initiatives.
Fisheries: A fishing license for coastal sports fishermen faces
strong opposition from coastal Republican legislators, many of whom
campaigned against the proposal.
by CNB