Harvey Gantt & Richard Vinroot, Together on Amendment 1

Look Who Else Opposes Amendment 1

Richard Vinroot

Speaker of the NC House Thom Tillis, the man more responsible for Amendment 1's being on the May 8th ballot (take a step back, Danny Soucek!), said earlier this week that it ain't nuttin much to pass discrimination into the state's Constitution, since young people will repeal it in another generation.

Former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot (and former Republican candidate for governor) heard those words and decided he couldn't be silent any longer. He came out publicly this a.m. against the amendment:

“My reaction [to Tillis's statement], was, ‘My gosh, the legislature wants us to put something in the constitution that the leader of our party – the speaker of the House – doesn’t think will stand the test of time for more than a decade,’ ” Vinroot told the Observer. “I can’t imagine amending the constitution for something he believes is that tenuous.”