NC House GOP Caucus Behind Closed Doors with Gambling Lobbyists

Highly unprecedented, they say.

Partisan political party caucuses in the NC General Assembly are exempt from the open meeting requirements.

But inviting in lobbyists from the gambling industry for an "educational" seminar, even if they also invited in a hellfire preacher too, raises eyebrows.

Why not debate the legalization of video gambling out in the open? It's not as though the gambling industry has ever corrupted any NC politicians or other fiduciary agents of the state!

But Republican Speaker of the NC House Thom Tillis 'splained the secret meeting quite clearly: "There are people that we want to hear from who may or may not feel as comfortable under your lights" -- the "your" in that sentence referring to the media.

Oh. Okay. We certainly wouldn't want to participate in making what is by nature shady feel uncomfortable in the sun.