By L.A. Williams
Christian Action League
January 12, 2024
How transparent are North Carolina lawmakers when it comes to their emails? And how strong is opposition to the ill-fated plan they hatched last fall to slip casinos and video lottery terminals into the long-delayed state budget?
The News & Observer found answers to both these questions (not very and significant) by making a public records request of all 170 members of the Legislature last October. Journalists ask for all the emails they received on Sept. 19, the day that legislative leaders announced they would push pause on the casino proposal and move on with the $30 billion spending plan.
The result? Very few lawmakers shared their emails, but the communications The N&O did receive showed that lots of state residents were outspoken about their distaste for the casino plan.
“People from around the state, particularly those who lived in the communities that had been floated as possible sites for major new casinos and entertainment districts, urged Republican lawmakers to ‘stand up against bully tactics’ and oppose the proposal,” The N&O reported. “Some complained that the casino push was holding up a budget that contained delayed raises for teachers, bus drivers and state employees. Others wrote to lawmakers that key supporters of the gambling bill, like Senate leader Phil Berger, were ignoring the concerns of constituents back home and pursuing casinos ‘behind our backs.’”
The Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, commended those who rallied against the massive expansion of gambling and urged them to stay vigilant as the casino plan is likely to emerge again. He also said that lawmakers who have yet to share their emails for that day should turn them over in the interest of transparency, even though they are not legally bound to do so.
Not only were reporters interested in what people were emailing their lawmakers about on Sept. 19 as budget negotiations came to a head, they also sought to shine a light on a change to the state’s public records law that was inside the budget. Much to the dismay of advocates for open government, included in the 600-plus page spending plan was a provision that current and former lawmakers “shall not be required to reveal or to consent to reveal any document, supporting document, drafting request, or information request made or received by that legislator while a legislator.”
So the newspaper wanted to know if lawmakers would respond to their request or hide behind the new provision. What they found is fewer than 1 in 5 shared their emails.
“A total of 33 lawmakers — 10 Republicans and 23 Democrats — provided The N&O with copies of emails from that day. The vast majority — more than 130 out of the 170 — did not respond. Of those who did share their records, some provided just a handful of emails. Others provided hundreds of pages of emails,” the newspaper reported Wednesday. It described many of the emails as routine (requests for interviews, invitations to conferences, newsletters, press releases, etc.) and said only a handful of lawmakers provided direct communications with staff, colleagues in the General Assembly or other government officials.
Some lawmakers cited “legislative privilege,” as their reason for not sharing communications with other legislators. Others claimed a review of their records didn’t turn up any emails from Sept. 19.
But the emails from constituents upset about the casino plan were the most compelling.
“I am reaching out to you in hopes that you are one of those who understand that this is not the way to bring jobs to our county,” a woman from the Rockingham-county town of Madison wrote. “We need jobs with good training, not ones that will suck the life and money out of our citizens.”
The N&O shared the following from another email: “There’s no reason increased tax revenue could ever justify what comes with a casino. It is especially insidious when donor dollars from these casinos and associated developers are flowing into PACs where top leadership in our State are involved. It shows clear failure of leadership when a politician has to resort to developing a casino in order to create jobs.”
Reportedly nearly 500 people reached out to their lawmakers via an email template provided by the N.C. Values Coalition, which, like the Christian Action League, lobbied against the gambling expansion.
“To elevate the importance of casino cesspools and video lottery terminals above protecting unborn babies and educational choice, as well as a host of other good budget initiatives, is unconscionable,” those emails read. “Gambling is not a conservative value. It’s a destructive force that will leave a swath of devastation and destruction in our state by increasing addiction, crime, human trafficking, and family breakdown.”
The Rev. Creech said The News & Observer investigation, which likely revealed just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to constituent feedback, shows the importance of grassroots activism and the need for Christians to take the time to exhort their lawmakers to make decisions that align with Christian teaching.
“No doubt many of those reaching out to their lawmakers did so at the urging of the Christian Action League, as we reported on the leadership’s disappointing slide into the grip of the gambling industry,” Creech said. “We must all continue to hold our lawmakers accountable.”
Read more from the Christian Action League about gambling in North Carolina.