North Carolina Civil Rights Movement De facto segregation Segregation by custom and tradition North Carolina banned White and African America children from attending the same school, but required no discrimination of either race Plessy v Ferguson (1896) Supreme Court Case that affirmed Separate but equal

North Carolina Civil Rights Movement Brown v Board of Education of Topeka (1954) Overturned Plessy v Ferguson Court ruled that racial segregation violated the 14 th Amendment equal protection clause Ordered desegregation of schools “with all due haste” Pearsall Plan An attempt to ignore Supreme Court ruling Proposed that local school boards take over supervisory roles for enrollment and busing Why enrollment and busing? Proposed that local school boards have the authority to close public schools Proposed that the General Assembly provide payments for students who attend private schools because their parents did not want them to attend integrated schools

North Carolina Civil Rights Movement 1966 Pearsall Plan was declared unconstitutional Swann v Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education Busing students and redrawing school boundaries are legal methods to desegregate schools Sit-In Movement February 1960 Greensboro, NC F.W. Woolworth’s lunch counter Four students from North Carolina Agriculture and Technical College sit down and request service Peaceful resistance to Jim Crow Laws

North Carolina Legislative Branch The General Assembly – The Voice of the people Makes laws General Statutes Laws that apply statewide Sales tax is the same in Boone as it is in Cape Hatteras Local or Special laws Apply only to certain counties or cities ½ cent local sales tax Legislative oversight Learn how well current laws are working and if new laws need to be made Elects members of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and the state community college system Impeachment powers Governor, council of state, judges

North Carolina Bicameral – Two Houses Senate 50 districts of roughly equal population House of Representatives 120 districts of roughly equal population Members to both houses are elected to two year terms No limit on the number of terms House of Representatives Speaker Presides over the house key appointments Senate Lt. Governor is president of senate Only votes to break a tie President pro tempore Leader of senate

North Carolina Executive Branch Governor Chief executive, four year term 30 years old, U.S. citizen for 5 years, lived in NC for 2 years Duties Executive Carries out state law, Prepares a budget, Appoints officials Legislative Approves or vetoes Commander in Chief In charge of military forces of the state (National Guard) Judicial Offers pardons; grants paroles Ceremonial Greets important visitors Party Leader Leads political party in the state

North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Four year term Same requirements as governor Runs for office separate form the governor State Cabinet Administrators who oversee government departments Department of Administration Budget work Department of Corrections Runs the prison and parole system Department of Crime Control and Public Safety Emergency management and Highway Patrol Department of Health and Human Services

North Carolina Council of State Heads of state agencies, elected to a four year term Attorney General State Bureau of Investigation Commissioner of Agriculture Agriculture research and product safety Commissioner of Insurance Regulates insurance companies Commissioner of Labor Oversees worker safety and fair employment Secretary of state Registers corporations Superintendent of Public Instruction Oversees public school system State Auditor Reviews the actions of other state departments State Treasurer Manages the state money

North Carolina Judicial Branch District Court Counties grouped into districts by population There is no jury The judge who hears the case decides the verdict Juvenile law, divorce and family law, traffic violations, civil cases involving less than $10,000, misdemeanors Judges are elected for four year terms Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes, Yadkin

North Carolina Superior Court Civil cases involving more than $10,000 and felonies North Carolina Constitution guarantees all defendants trail by jury in criminal cases Convictions from district court can appeal to superior court and get a jury trail Judges are elected to eight year terms Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes, Yadkin

North Carolina Court Officers Clerk of Superior Court Establishing validity of wills Conduct foreclosure sales Magistrate Issue search warrants Issue arrest warrants District Attorney Represents the state in all criminal cases Represents the state in juvenile delinquency proceedings Public Defender Represent extremely low income or indigent persons

North Carolina Appellate Courts North Carolina Court of Appeals Questions of law and procedure Hear cases appealed from the trail courts 15 judges that hear cases in groups of 3 (panels) At least 2 judges must agree to reach a decision Judges are elected statewide for a term of 8 years

North Carolina The North Carolina Supreme Court Reviews cases a lower court has already decided Interprets the state’s constitution and laws Seven judges elected to an eight year term Judges decide which cases they will hear Hear appeals of all death sentence cases Decisions are final unless there is an issue that involves the U.S. Constitution Supervise all the other courts in North Carolina

Local Government County The largest territorial and political subdivision of the state 100 counties County Seat The center of county government Wilkesboro County office – tax, planning, finance, building inspectors Municipalities Are unities of government that have legal rights granted by the state Cities, towns, and villages Each municipality has been incorporated Incorporated The state has declared a specific geographic area is a municipality and given it a charter Charter oOutlines the basic rules for municipal government oChanges made by the General Assembly or “home rule”

Local Government Home rule Allows municipalities to write their own charters, create government and manage their own affairs Unincorporated areas can ask the General Assembly to become municipalities if they decide they need services Annexation The process of bringing unincorporated areas into and existing municipality Requested The General Assembly has given municipalities authority to annex adjacent areas Forced

North Carolina Each municipality elects its own government City council, town council, board of commissioners, board of alderman Local legislature – pass local laws called ordinances Establish policy, approve budgets, set tax rates Voters elect the governing board At-large All voters can vote for all members of the board or council By district Voters in a certain district choose that districts member on the board.

Mayor Presides over the meetings of the governing board Not responsible for administering government Manager Professionally trained and educated Hired to carry out the boards policies Day to day operations of government Executive (president)

North Carolina Counties Act as an arm of the state Education, elections, health, social services, ABC Board of Commissioners Governing body Set county tax rate Approve county budget Establish county policies Chairman – presides over the meetings Clerk keeps official records Provide information to citizens Publish notices

Manager Administers the policies and services the governing body has established Professionally trained, MPA Prepares a draft budget Appoints people to head some departments Oversees employees of departments Independent departments that must work with manager Sheriff, Register of Deeds,

North Carolina Budget A governments spending priorities A plan for managing and spending money The State Budget Process Year runs for July 1 to June 30 Biennial – two year budget in odd years Must be a balanced budget Proposed by the governor Estimates of revenue and expenditures The General Assembly studies and revises Approves and sends to governor

North Carolina Maintaining a balanced budget Raise additional revenue to cover shortfall Increase taxes, increase fees Spend money from government savings accounts Rainy day funds, reserve balance funds Cut back on spending Reduce or end services Propose a combination of all three options Minimize the impact of any one kind of change

North Carolina Expenditures Public schools Health and human services Revenue Individual income tax Sales and use tax Budget surplus Government has extra money Revenue is more than expenditures (2006)

North Carolina Borrowing money North Carolina government cannot borrow money for operating cost (day to day cost) Capital projects Jails, schools, roads, Bonds A governments promise to repay debt Revenue bonds Revenue producing projects – toll bridges, parking structures General Obligation Finance public works projects and must be approved by voters

North Carolina Municipal and County Budgets Required by the state to pass balanced budget Budget years runs from July 1 to June 30 Expenditures Human services Utilities – water, sewer Education Public safety – police and fire Revenue Property tax Sales tax Sales and services Water, power, fees for services