NC’s New Small (Big in Your Bedroom) Government
November 3rd, 2010 | 
Author:
Likely future Speaker of the NC House, Paul "Skip" Stam
“We’re a centrist state. We’re a small government, we’re a limited-government, free-market, stay-out of my-personal-life electorate.” So declared Republican NC Representative Thom Tillis, the mastermind strategist behind the Republican take over of the NC House on WUNC this morning.
Really. I wonder what soon-to-be Republican Speaker Paul Stam thinks about the “stay-out-of-my-personal-life-electorate.” I can’t say that he’s ever been a fan. Well, at least as far as the female portion of the electorate is concerned.
Stam makes it clear at every turn that his number one priority is restricting reproductive freedom. He did it in the 80s when he led the effort to dismantle our State Abortion Fund, which helped low-income women pay for safe, legal abortion care. And, earlier this year, he led an almost one man crusade to deny abortion coverage to public employees across the state.
Let’s not forget 1994, when Republicans took over the NC House. In one short session, they successfully overturned comprehensive sex education, enacted parental consent for abortion and rendere the State Abortion Fund permanently inaccessible.
Stam is no believer in a “stay-out of my-personal-life electorate” unless by personal life we’re talking personal income tax. When it comes to a woman’s most profoundly personal and private concerns, Stam is all about having a say.
And let’s not forget Stam’s steadfast opposition to the anti-bullying bill last legislative session. Who can remember how many times he took to the floor to oppose protecting all children in North Carolina from bullying?
He didn’t like the bill because it named the very children who are likely to be bullied based on perception or reality. The kids he didn’t want to protect were those whose gender identity or sexual orientation were called into question. The rash of suicides this year alone by LGBT kids underscores the importance of last year’s bill, which passed by one vote—the one cast by Democratic Speaker Joe Hackney.
I could go on and on about the ways in which Representative Paul Stam opposes the “stay-out-of-my-personal-life electorate” but I’m sure Speaker Stam will demonstrate them as soon as he gets the gavel.
Politics might suggest that those of us opposed to Stam’s intervention in personal and private decisions would be wise to keep quite given his new power. Hardly, I say. If he’s coming after us, and we know he will, let’s get out front on what he intends to do.
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