WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM The Triangle Political remap could shift North Carolina battle’s outcomeBy Gary D. Robertson RIBUNE ASSOCIATED PRESS TTHE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE RALEIGH – North Carolina's Republican-dominated legislature has been repeatedly walloping Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper since before he took of- fice, and the bitter conflict shows no sign of abating. But an upcoming ad- VOLUME 19 NO. 17 WEEK OF JULY 30, 2017 $1.00 justment to some political boundaries could sway its outcome. A court-mandated redistricting threatens the Republicans' power to over- ride Cooper's vetoes and make unfettered changes to state government. Longball RBI made This possibility has GOP leaders planning to return to Raleigh multiple times this year to consider even more conservative-leaning legislation and De- quite an impression mocrats quickly raising money in case judges order snap elections under the new boundaries. at the Mid-Atlantic "There's a sense that there is a deadline," said Chris Cooper, a political Regionals in Philly. science professor at Western Carolina University and not related to the gov- ernor. "There's a sense of a looming change coming with redistricting." So far, the GOP has steamrolled the new governor. It began a week after Cooper's narrow election victory last December. Republicans convened a surprise special session and proceeded to strip him of power over elections, limit the number of policy positions he could fill and subject his Cabinet to Please seeMAPS/2A Black Attorney Wealth general 2020 scrambles New movement aims to 'turbo to cover charge' black budget gap wealthBy Hazel Trice Edney By Melissa Boughton TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM THE POLICY WATCH North Carolina Attorney Gen- According to the following sta- eral Josh Stein’s most important tistics, America's black eco- job is to keep people safe. nomic condition is in dire For the Department of Justice, straits: which he heads, that can mean • A recent Harvard University helping to keep criminals be- study found that hind bars, protecting residents’ black homeowner- drinking water, going after ship stands at STOCK PHOTO health care providers engaged only 42.2 percent in Medicaid fraud and protect- in the nation's ing consumers from unfair busi- largest metro ness practices. areas. That's DOJ attorneys also work with below the His- and represent numerous state panic community, agencies in contentious legal Johns which is at 46 per- Teacher development, battles. They help district attor- cent, and well below neys with complicated cases or the white community at 72 per- conflicts of interest in special cent. prosecutions. • The mortgage denial rate for struggling schools on That may soon change. In a blacks is more than 25 percent, last minute surprise move, the near 20 percent for Latinos but General Assembly slashed DOJ’s just over 10 percent for white budget by $10 million. applicants, according to the By Billy Ball step, even though the amount is ployees,” he said. By several measures, $10 mil- Center for Enterprise Develop- chopping block Over the last decade, DPI has lion is a lot of money. It’s how THE POLICY WATCH smaller, it may be that much ment. tougher. So there’s a lot of work been under intense scrutiny much Netflix pays comedian Members of North Carolina’s • Likewise, the U.S. Black to still be done.” from Republican state lawmak- Chelsea Handler for her talk State Board of Education passed Chambers says a lack of access Tuesday’s budget decision will ers who suggest the K-12 bu- show; it’s the production budget down $2.5 million in legislative to capital remains the greatest eliminate seven filled and eight reaucracy is wasteful. Although for each episode of HBO’s Game cuts Tuesday, ordering layoffs barrier to the establishment, ex- vacant positions within the De- Cobey, a Republican, has dis- of Thrones; it’s the estimated and operations reductions that pansion and growth of black- partment of Public Instruction, puted that characterization, law- value of the jewelry that was are most likely to impact profes- owned businesses. reducing services from the makers, since 2009, had already stolen from reality star Kim Kar- sional development and support • Finally, black-owned banks, agency’s school transformation slashed more than $19 million dashian while she was in Paris services for the state’s poor and which grant an overwhelming and educator effectiveness divi- from DPI before this year’s re- last year. low-performing districts. majority of their loans to black sions. The vote is also expected ductions. And, most importantly, $10 State officials will need to chop people, continue to climb their to reduce pay for DPI instruc- Citing personnel confidential- million also amounts to roughly another $737,000 to meet the way out of the disparate hit they tional coaches working with ity, details about the exact posi- 37 percent of the DOJ’s legal legislature’s $3.2 million de- took during the great recession state teachers, shifting from 12- tions and the employees and administrative budget – the mand, board Chairman Bill while maintaining their historic month to 10-month contracts. eliminated in this new round of area from which lawmakers Cobey said. Decisions about the role in stabilizing black commu- The additional cuts remaining, cuts were redacted from DPI have specified that the cut must location of additional cuts are nities. Cobey said, are likely to mean documents released publicly come. It is, in short, a big cut likely to be made in early Au- These revelations are the driv- more job losses within the Tuesday. But agency reps said that will have even bigger con- gust. ing forces behind the founding agency. “It’s hard to think for me they would issue more specifics sequences for the DOJ and “This is sort of like the first big of a new group that's leading a of getting to that number with- in early August once all employ- every North Carolinian remotely step,” Cobey said. “But just like movement for black economic out it affecting one or more em- interested in public safety. justice across America. anytime you’re cutting, the next Please see POOR/2A “There’s no way for this office Black Wealth 2020, formally to absorb $10 million in cuts established only two years ago, without it affecting the work we aims to lock arms with some of do keeping people safe,” Stein the most historic national civic said Friday. Stein and others at and civil rights organizations the DOJ are trying to come up with a goal to impact economic with a responsible plan to mini- outcomes in black America over mize the impacts on the people the next three years. The HowBy Aerin Hickeyexcessive and fendants courtare automatically costs charged ruin lives they serve, but it’s no easy task. group's three-pronged strategy Connor Aberle $240 in district court fees. Of the He’s started asking agencies the is to increase the number of THE POLICY WATCH criminal court costs Khaleef contin- DOJ provides services to for black homeowners, strengthen “My primary focus in life is my ues to pay, some are non-waivable. money to help with the massive black-owned businesses and in- daughter,” Khaleef told the judge. In North Carolina, judges can waive budget cut. crease deposits in black banks On May 2, 2016, Khaleef’s love for certain court fees depending on the The bulk of what the DOJ does by the year 2020. his daughter presented him with an circumstances. Other fees are non- involves providing legal serv- "This is, in my recollection, the impossible dilemma. waivable and must be paid, regard- ices to state agencies to serve first time there's been a system- Earlier that evening he received a less of the defendant’s ability to the people of the state, Stein atic effort to draw our commu- text message from his friend warn- pay. Of these fees, the court charges said. The department handles nity's attention to these very ing him that his 6-month-old daugh- a non-waivable $60 fee for request- (among many other things) all critical issues related to wealth- ter Nadeera was lying on the floor, ing a public defender and a $55 per criminal appeals for district at- building and economic self-suf- neglected. Nadeera was unattended hour fee for every hour the public torneys, all special prosecutions ficiency: that being the while the child’s biological mother defender works on the case. for district attorneys, all pris- importance of supporting black was under the influence of drugs In other words, people are oner petitions to help the state banks, the importance of home- and alcohol outside in the backyard. charged at least $60 for being too Court of Appeals and represents ownership, the importance of “I knew I wasn’t supposed to be poor to afford an attorney. Making Khaleef and daughter Nadeera the state Department of Labor in growing black businesses, those around Nadeera’s mother, but you matters worse, if the defendant can- Occupational Safety and Health really are the three pillars of can’t leave a helpless child like not pay the public defender fee up- ment officer training/retirement Division hearings. economic empowerment," said that.” front, they are fined an extra $20. and for the general fund, which the “Either we find some new Marie Johns, former deputy ad- Khaleef’s concern for his daughter Finally, if those costs were not bur- North Carolina legislature uses for [funding] or we eliminate posi- ministrator at the Small Busi- was enough to sway even the hard- densome enough, the state can any state operation (not just the tions,” Stein said.