THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 1, 1994 TAG: 9412010478
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
Sen. Marc Basnight of Manteo won unanimous support from fellow Democrats Wednesday to serve a second term as the leader of the 50-member North Carolina Senate.
But Basnight said he will face dramatically different challenges in the coming years as president pro tempore.
In his remarks to the party caucus at Ballentines Cafeteria and Confederate House, Basnight appealed to the Democratic senators to stay united when the session opens.
Basnight told his colleagues he will need all their votes to stay in power for another two years and will need their support on important issues throughout the coming session.
``I can't have a vacant seat on a critical vote,'' he said.
Basnight still must win a majority of votes in the full Senate to retain his post, with Democrats holding only a 26-24 edge, when all 50 choose their officers Jan. 25, the opening day of the 1995 session.
As president pro tem, Basnight appoints committee members and committee chairmen, oversees the Senate's daily agenda and presides over the Senate in the absence of the state's lieutenant governor, who serves as president.
The GOP surge on Nov. 8 gave Republicans 24 seats in the Senate and 68 seats in the House when the General Assembly reconvenes in January - a majority of legislative seats.
Republican leaders are actively seeking two Democratic senators willing to switch parties in an effort to wrest control of the Senate from Basnight.
Wednesday's caucus lacked the emotion of the caucus in 1992, when family members and longtime friends gathered to watch the senators meet at the Sanderling Inn, an oceanfront resort north of Duck, and nominate Basnight to his first term as president pro tem.
As he did two years ago, Basnight waited outside the caucus room while the senators gave their nominating and seconding speeches. But unlike 1992, when Basnight was pensive and visibly nervous, on Wednesday he appeared confident while waiting in a restaurant hallway.
He joked about the length of the speeches and about the challenges awaiting him next year.
``It's different this time. I've been through tough times and I've been successful,'' he said.
In remarks to the caucus after he was endorsed, Basnight outlined about 16 issues that will be on the Senate's agenda next year, including such diverse items as a lottery, welfare reform and school construction projects.
In an interview after the meeting, Basnight said he will be committed to setting aside money in the state's budget to protect against future shortfalls, solving questions for the state's public school system, encouraging economic development in the state and repeal of the state's intangibles tax.
Besides Basnight, the Senate Democrats named another eastern North Carolina senator to one of their top offices. Sen. Frank Ballance, D-Warren, whose 2nd District adjoins Basnight's, was named majority whip.
Sen. R. C. Soles Jr. of Columbus County, deputy president pro tem, and Sen. Richard Conder of Richmond County, majority leader, were nominated to serve another two years in their posts.
Just before the caucus, Basnight held a closed-door meeting with Senate Republican leaders Betsy L. Cochrane of Davie County, minority leader, and Austin M. Allran of Catawba County, minority whip, to discuss the role of the GOP under Basnight's leadership.
In an interview after meeting with Basnight, Cochrane, who has served 14 years in the legislature, said her meeting was intended as a ``get-acquainted'' session with Basnight. She also said that a GOP endorsement of Basnight is ``not even appropriate at this time.'' ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS color photo
Sen. Marc Basnight of Manteo waits in a hallway at Ballentines
Cafeteria and Confederate House in Raleigh on Wednesday. Basnight
appealed to the Democratic senators to stay united when the General
Assembly convenes Jan. 25.
KEYWORDS: ENDORSEMENT by CNB