Democratic state Rep. Elmer Floyd of Fayetteville was one of two House Democrats to vote for the Republican-written state budget in May, and for that he appears to have been rewarded this past week.
House Speaker Tim Moore appointed Floyd to the budget conference committee — a group of House and Senate members who will negotiate a compromise between the House and Senate how to spend $23.9 million in fiscal 2019-20 and $24.7 million in fiscal 2020-21.
Democratic Rep. Charles Graham of Robeson County also voted for the House budget and received an appointment on the committee.
Why did Floyd and Graham support the House GOP budget when the rest of the House Democrats voted against it? Because they saw good things in it for their Cumberland and Robeson County districts, they said on Friday.
There is cash, Floyd said, for projects at Fayetteville State University, the state Veterans Home in Fayetteville, a medical residency program at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, the Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Fayetteville, the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake, among other things.
“When you add that up … you see a pretty good million in there for Cumberland County,” Floyd said. “That’s what you sent me there for.”
The projects total tens of millions of dollars, and the ones Floyd cited don’t include $46 million over the next four years to build the controversial N.C. Civil War & Reconstruction History Center in Fayetteville.
“I’m lukewarm on that,” Floyd said of the Civil War Center.
Graham, in his support of the GOP budget, cited money for hurricane relief (Robeson County is still recovering from 2016’s Hurricane Matthew and 2018’s Hurricane Florence), funding for the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, money for the Agricultural Events Center in Lumberton, $100,000 for downtown revitalization in Rowland, pay raises for teachers and other state employees, and money to address opioid addiction epidemic.
Graham and Floyd’s appointments to the budget committee likely are more ceremonial than substantive. Neither knew they had been appointed until contacted by The Fayetteville Observer on Friday.
Two years ago, Graham said, Moore appointed him to the budget committee but he was not included in the negotiations.
Floyd (who also was appointed two years ago) said the negotiations likely will be confined to just a few lawmakers, even though several dozen are listed as committee members.
“I’m not concerned whether or not I’m at the table as long as they have my wish list and my wish list is carried forward as part of the negotiation — I’m pleased, ” he said.
Neither Graham nor Floyd could say whether they would support the House-Senate compromise spending plan that the budget conference committee will draft, or whether they would side with the Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper if Cooper vetos it.
It depends what’s in the final version of the budget, they said (and Floyd also prefers to keep his voting plans secret). The Republican-majority House can’t override a veto unless some Democrats defect from the Democratic party line.
Three Senate Democrats, including Sen. Ben Clark of Hoke and Cumberland counties, voted for the GOP-written Senate budget. But weren’t similarly acknowledged with conference committee appointments by Republican Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger.
Clark has previously said he supported the Senate version of the budget because it has money for education projects and other needs in Cumberland and Hoke counties.
Cumberland County Republican House Rep. John Szoka is also on the conference committee.
Homeless protest
The Seth’s Wish homeless assistance organization plans to hold a “Hear Our Voices” rally at 6 p.m. Monday at the Fayetteville City Hall, 433 Hay St. This is to protest against city proposals to prohibit people from camping and sleeping on public property — regulations that would affect homeless people.
The rally is to be followed with appearances during the public forum portion of City Council meeting at 7 p.m. to argue against the regulations.
Political events
• Fayetteville Republican Women’s Club: 6 p.m. Thursday, The Belmont Village event space, 1104 Hay St. Guest speakers: N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Judge Phil Berger, Jr., Wake County District Court Judge Jefferson Griffin (who is running for the state Court of Appeals), and Publisher Bill Bowman of Up & Coming Weekly. Cost: $20 with buffet meal, $10 without meal. RSVP required, email frwc2013@gmail.com or call 910-489-2055.
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