Gov. Mike Easley today announced an initiative to help the children of military parents who are deployed on active duty. The initiative includes training institutes to help educators better understand the challenges faced by children of deployed parents as well as a new web site to help educators identify and assist these students. Joining the Governor and First Lady Mary Easley at the workshop for public school educators in Raleigh were Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee, Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson, state National Guard Adjutant Major Gen. William Ingram Jr., Lil Ingram, Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Bill Harrison and National Guard families.

"For many military children, teachers may be one of the few sources of stability and attending school every day may be one of the few 'normal' routines for those whose lives are disrupted when military parents answer the call to duty, " said Easley. "Teachers and administrators need to know how to identify and help children adjust and focus on learning during such a difficult time."

Superintendent Atkinson...Finally!

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jerry Meek made this statement about Dr. June Atkinson, who was declared the winner by the North Carolina General Assembly and sworn in as North Carolina's Superintendent of Public Instruction today:

"Almost 10 months after Election Day, we are thrilled that Dr. June Atkinson was finally sworn into the office to which she rightfully won. It is a testament to her patience and commitment to service that she stood firm in defense of the law and the rights of voters. Superintendent Atkinson can now get to work on reducing class size, hiring more teachers, and improving our state's schools. She will make our state proud."

"The General Assembly is to be commended for navigating through uncharted legal territory and exercising their constitutional duty to declare a winner," Meek added. "They recognized the voices of the 8,535 more people who voted for Atkinson. After months of criticizing Bill Fletcher, I will refrain from kicking him when he's down. It's unfortunate that the Republican Party went along with his shenanigans for so long."

By SETH EFFRON
StateGovernmentRadio.com

Until recently it was a private discussion among Republicans concerning the party's candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction's obstinate challenge in the still undecided election. The talk, that the challenge was doing more harm than good, has started to go public.

For weeks several key Republican legislators have privately said they hoped Fletcher would drop his challenge and concede the race to Democrat June Atkinson. Some said they've even suggested as much directly to Fletcher - but to no avail.

Last Thursday, a special legislative committee spent nearly eight hours listening to testimony, reviewing evidence and questioning witnesses as it prepares to make a recommendation to the full General Assembly on how to resolve the matter.

Raleigh News and Observer Editorial, 7/17/2005

In the prolonged arguments in courthouses and now the Legislative Building over the outcome of the race for state superintendent of public instruction, Republican Bill Fletcher has won agreement from the state Supreme Court that some 11,000-plus ballots in a race Democrat June Atkinson won by 8,535 votes should be tossed out. They were provisional ballots, cast by voters who were voting out of their home precincts. Debate continues over how the election law pertaining to that subject might be interpreted, but not all of the voided ballots were from Atkinson supporters. The tossing of those ballots, in other words, doubtless would not have changed the outcome of the race.

Now the matter rests with the legislature (which claims jurisdiction over the race in a dispute like this), where Democratic Rep. Joe Hackney of Orange County got to the bottom line in a committee meeting with Fletcher, Atkinson and their lawyers. As noted in the Insider, a news service affiliated with The N&O that covers state government, Hackney asked Fletcher's lawyers, "Is there any evidence you can point to that shows Mr. Fletcher received more votes than Ms. Atkinson?" The lawyers said no.

Fletcher indicates he'll keeping fighting. He shouldn't. He has prevented a new superintendent from taking office for months now. Fletcher lost. He needs to accept that fact, at long last.

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jerry Meek made this statement on the Joint Select Committee on Council of State Contested Elections hearing on the Superintendent of Public Instruction's race:

"I am glad that the General Assembly is meeting to exercise their constitutional and legal authority to determine who received the most votes and declare a winner. There are 8,535 reasons why June Atkinson is the rightful winner--she leads Bill Fletcher by that many votes, which were cast in good faith by registered voters in our state. It's unfortunate that Bill Fletcher and the Republicans have spent months trying to deny the will of the people by trying to throw out votes. This is the last undecided statewide election in America-quite a dubious distinction. Ten months after Election Day, and nine months after the State Board of Elections certified June Atkinson as the winner, the end is in sight."

Superintendent of Public Instruction-elect Dr. June Atkinson made this statement today at a press conference held at NC Democratic Party headquarters:

"Last week, the State Supreme Court and the U.S. Dept. of Justice each handed Bill Fletcher another defeat in his efforts to block my taking office as State Superintendent. Even with the inevitable staring Bill in the face, he has yet to stop his stalemate that has lasted over the last six months.

Characterizing the last six months as an inconvenience for education is being very charitable. The election for State Superintendent of Public Instruction continues to be in limbo because Bill Fletcher has an insatiable thirst for challenging the voters' choice. Bill Fletcher refuses to accept the inevitable.

Wilmington Star-News Editorial, 2/20/2005:

A sorry lesson from Mr. Fletcher

Bill Fletcher's chances of becoming North Carolina's next superintendent of public instruction are virtually nonexistent. An analysis of 11,310 disputed ballots confirms that.

Mr. Fletcher should concede and spare the state a costly, tedious and potentially destructive battle.

A Democrat who disputed the results of a much closer race for agriculture commissioner finally faced reality and conceded. He was behind by 2,287 votes.

Mr. Fletcher, a Republican, has even less chance of overturning the November results. He's behind by 8,535 votes.

He tried to erase that margin by arguing that 11,310 ballots should be thrown away because they'd been cast in the wrong precinct, presumably, by voters who'd moved or who were simply confused about where to vote.

Such ballots are set aside as "provisional," and boards of elections decide later whether to count them. Mr. Fletcher argued that none of them should be.