Editorial and Opinion Page
Rep. Ron Sutton Explains PSU Name Change Stalling
/ Jitur s null' I his Idler </% supposed to he printed in its entirety
List mvA hue to seereturiul error, only the first pu/fe leus received
through our /ax. It e ore printing the letter in its entirety, and apologize
to our rentiers and Hep. Sutton for any misunderstandiilf's due to the
ttioll\ transmission
1 >c.ll I diloi
I Ins is in icsponsc to nix main constituents and I lie general public
iii.ii its nndctsiand.iblx eonfiised o\ct llie headlines and articles of I lie
p.isi weekend eoneei nine the proposed name change lor Pembroke Stale
I imersiix riicconliision appears lobe related to the PSl ' name change
becoming stalled in the General Asscmblx as reported in the area
newspapcis last weekend
I o nuclei stand ihe politics and actions of the pasi week it is ncccssarx
to understand llie background of the proposed name ehange Also one
needs 10 understand the ' rules'' of llie short session First. I would
like to eiupliatieallx state that exerx member of the delegation serxing
Robeson and sinmnnding counties enthusiaslicallx supports the proposed
name ehange Most delegation members liaxc been tnxolxed in
the process for nianx months
I he purpose of the short session of the General Asscmblx isprunarilx
to tighten up' the budget ConsequentIx a Bill sponsored b> am
niembei 01 members House or Senate xxitiiout an appropriation in it
xxouhl require a suspension of the rules to be considered To ax oul that
i lie decision xx as made tohax c the Joint Education Ox erstght Committee
consisting of the House and Senate, to hear the Bill and if faxQiablx
approved the committee xxould bring the bill before both legislalixc
bodies Normally tinder such circumstances, the committee eo cluiirs
sponsor and handle the Bill in their rcspCctixc bodx
In this case. Representative Frances Cummings. a tneniber of llu
committee wanted her name listed first on the Bill and be alloxxed to
handle the Bill in the House Obx iotislx politics plaxed a major role in
this request ,
Alter discussion, lite committee lenders agreed 10 do thai when all
local delegation members. Cuninungs. Suium and Yonguc were listed
on the House Hill as sponsors
Senator Dn\ id Parnell filed an identical Bill in the Senate This
proccduic the simultaneous filing of identical Bills in both bodies, is
routine and a common practice The relative liming of the filing of Bills
in the separate bodies is of 110 consequence The critical issue of timing
is which bod> passes their respective Bill through the appropriate
committees and on the respective floor thus sending it to the other bod>
for consideration This process is known as the "cross over." this is
defined as the crossing ov erofa favorablv approved Bill to the other bodv
lor their consideration Again, normall> tins is the critical date not the
Bill filing dale
In this instance the Semite clearlv passed Senator Parnell s Bill and
sent it to the House first Upon arrival 111 the House 011 Thursday the
Senate Bill was sent 10 the Rules ("onumitcc Meanwhile the House
version of the Bill was stiil in the House E ducation C ommittee
On Thursdav the House E ducation C ommittee favorablv passed
the House Bill after presentation and comments bv Representatives
Cmiiiiimgs and Sutton Representative Yoiigtic was also present 111
commutes . show Ins support for the Bill
On I-1 ida> . House Bill was 011 the calendar for consideration bv
the full House Repieseiilativc David Redwinc of Brunswick County
who also represents part of Robeson Counts and is the House Minoriiv
Whip inquired of the Speaker of the House vv liv the House leadership
did not nicrelv bring the identical Senate Bill that was in the Rules
Committee to the House floor and vote on it thus giving final approval
to the matter This would mean the House Bill would not have lobe v Oled
011 and sent to the Senate as lliev had alreadv passed an identical Bill
This appeared to be a logical procedure since there was 110 apparent
opposition to the Bill and Chancellor Joseph OxcndincofPSU was in the
House (iallerv observing the action.
Speaker H.irold Brubakcr slated thai lhis had been considered but
thai ihc decision was made lo sole on ihe House Bill instead The House
Bill was passed with onls two negative voles and was sent lo the Senate
Reprcscnialis es Cummings. Sullon. and Yongue spoke in support of the
Bill on the House floor
The results arc that there is ihc potential foradclav at litis lime bach
bods having in us possession ihe passed Bill passed bv the other bods
Thus. gi\ ingcredence to the recent headlines that the PSU name change
Bill was stalled in the General Assembly The question now is which
bods if cither will "blink" and pass the Bill of the oilier thus, ending
am standoff The abov c is a thumb nail sketch of where the General
Asscniblv now standson the proposed PSlJnaine change and how wcgol
into litis unneccssarv position
Readers a re cautioned to be skeptical of the rhetoric about indis idual
members' self importance and critical role in the handling of these
Bills There has been no known significant opposition to the name
change There was outstanding liaison at all levels, from the local
communilv the PSU Administration and Trustees, the UNC General
Administration and Board of Governors and the General Asscniblv
Contrarv lo previous reports, no single individual has been critical or
indispensable in this endeavor
I shall leave u lo the perception of nidiv idual readers as to vvliv the
procedures described above were followed However, it should be clear
lo cvervonc. (hat politics has plavcd a major role in Ihe handling of the
proposed name change Clcarlv certain people want credit while others
mcrclv want lo gel the name changed I am conv inced that if the entire
House delegation wanted to lake the most expeditious route in gelling a
final v ote on the proposed name change it would hav c been completed
hist week However, thai was not and is not the case Again, plaving
politics instead of doing what we w ere sent to Raleigh to do
. Ronnie Sutton
Representative. H-ui ve District US
- ^
Notice of Public Hearing
Hie Pembroke Housing Authority wilt conduct a public
hearing-'on June 5. 1996 at _> 00 p m at the Central Office in
Lochlear Coui t. Ibr the purpose ot'discussing the Comprehensive
Improvement Assistant Program application This application
includes modernization funding requests for Federal
Fiscal Year 19% Public participation in this planning process
is welcome. Interested persons requiring special accommodations
should contact Lemurk Harris at (910) 521-971 J.
CHOOSETRADiriON! j
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x J NahoncM rd%tb on Drjg Abut* .,
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