Free Republic

State Senator Marc Basnight is crisscrossing the State in hopes of retaining his power as the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. As polling increasingly shows that the Republicans will take control of the Senate, Basnight is spending his vast war chest to help incumbent Democrat Senators keep their seats. A Republican majority in the Senate means new Senate leadership and with it, a marginalized role for Democrats who have controlled that body for over 100 years. A GOP majority in the Senate could spell doom for Dare County if they elect a Democrat Senator. In remarks to the Washington...

CARY - When state Senate leader Marc Basnight throws a fundraiser, the big political players show up.On a recent evening, dozens of lobbyists representing nearly every major corporation or interest group in the state gathered under the crystal chandeliers of the grand ballroom at Prestonwood Country Club.The N.C. State University boosters wore red jackets to underscore their school's support. Former governor and corporate lawyer Jim Hunt, recovering from surgery at his Wilson farm, left his sickbed to preside.But perhaps the most striking figure was the host, Jim Goodnight, the Cary computer software magnate, a Republican who admires tax-cutting conservative Steve...

RALEIGH — After The News & Observer of Raleigh published a story in February about his contract dispute with Basnight Construction of Manteo, James Morris of Elizabeth City thought it would be easier to collect about $50,000 he was owed. But, as of Tuesday, Morris still doesn’t have his money According to Morris, Deputy Greg Padilla, who handles collections for the Dare County Sheriff’s Department, told him a few weeks ago that the funds in Basnight Construction’s bank account at RBC Centura in Manteo had been secured but not released. (snip) Seeking an update, Morris said Friday that Padilla told...

Thursday, August 14, 2003 7:38AM EDT Basnight calls for overhaul Among his ideas: privatizing Commerce By AMY MARTINEZ, Staff Writer RALEIGH -- Arguing that North Carolina is not doing enough to put people back to work, Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight said Wednesday that he has an economic development proposal that, if passed into law, could shake up one state bureaucracy and lower taxes for businesses. Basnight's proposal, largely the result of a series of meetings with business leaders earlier this year, calls for a study into whether the state Department of Commerce would be more effective as a...