| Legislative
Bulletin |
September
21, 2001 |
 |
Names in
the News
Former
House Speaker Liston Ramsey succumbs
Liston
Ramsey, the most powerful House speaker in state history,
died Sept. 2 after a lengthy illness. He was 82 and had served
in the General Assembly 38 years – from 1960 until 2000 with
the exception of one term in 1964-66. He served as speaker
from 1981 until 1988 when he was ousted in a coup led by Rep.
Joe Mavretic. Ramsey was eulogized as a person who used his
influence to bring better schools, roads and government
services to rural residents, especially those in the
mountains. During the 1980s Ramsey was widely viewed as having
more clout than sitting governors. Among his achievements were
significantly strengthening Western Carolina University and
UNC-Asheville. He also supported new environmental laws, the
Equal Rights Amendment and a progressive state tax structure.
 Peter Keber,
for 22 years the Raleigh lobbyist for Bank of America and its
predecessor institutions who also has been a prominent civil
leader in Charlotte, has announced his retirement. Keber, 62,
did not announce any future plans.
Rep. Ruth
Easterling (D-Mecklenburg), 90, announced she will not
seek reelection next year at the end of her 13th term.
Easterling, one of the House Appropriations chairs, has
championed causes for women and children.
Former U.S. Sen.
Lauch Faircloth, 73, and Cong. Richard Burr
(R-5th), who is 45, both announced that they will not seek
retiring Sen. Jesse Helms Senate seat. Charlotte
investor Mark Erwin, a former ambassador, also backed
out of the race. Their decisions not to run leaves Elizabeth
Dole and former Charlotte mayor Richard Vinroot,
who lost to Gov. Mike Easley in last year’s
gubernatorial race, as the announced Republican contenders.
Other Republicans still considering the race include U.S. Rep.
Robin Hayes (R-8th) and Lexington lawyer Jim Snyder
On the Democratic side, Rep. Dan Blue (D-Wake) made his
interest in the race official on Monday when he filed papers
to Washington establishing his campaign committee. Blue, 52,
is a Raleigh attorney and an 11-term House member who became
the first African-American in the South to be elected House
speaker when he rose to the post in 1991. He lost the post in
1995 when Republicans gained a majority in the chamber. N.C.
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall also is officially
in the contest. Other possible Democratic contenders include Clark
Plexico of Raleigh, a former state senator from Henderson
County who serves as chairman of the NCCBI Education
Committee; Superior Court Judge Ray Warren of
Mecklenburg County; former Durham City Council member Cynthia
Brown; and businessman Randall Kaplan of
Greensboro. Sen. Eric Reeves (D-Wake) was interested in
the race but recently announced that he will seek re-election
to his state Senate seat.
Melanie
Thomas, the SBI agent in charge of the SBI’s Capital
District Office since 1998, was promoted by Attorney General
Roy Cooper to assistant director for field operations for the
agency.
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