Representative Joe Hackney Announces Retirement

After 32 years in office, it will be hard to imagine the legislature without Hackney in it. This also represents a significant crack in the political glass ceiling that Congressmember Brad Miller pointed to recently (HINT HINT, Congressmember Price), although this seat mostly represents Chatham now. I wonder who will slip through?

Here is Rep. Hackney's statement (from Facebook):

Statement by Joe Hackney

Feb. 2, 2012

I have decided that I will not be a candidate for re-election to the North Carolina House of Representatives this year.

At the end of this term, I look forward to a more predictable schedule for my family, my law practice, my family farm, and for the recreational activities I've been missing.

I will serve out the remainder of my term with enthusiasm. As Minority Leader, I will work actively this year for a Democratic majority and a new Democratic Speaker for the NC House in 2013; I will continue to assist our candidates' campaigns and will actively raise money for them, as I have in the past.

I am very grateful to the voters of Chatham, Orange, (and more recently a small part of Moore) who gave me the high privilege of representing them in matters of public policy for 32 years; to the members of the House who elected me Speaker Pro Tem, Majority Leader, Speaker, and Minority Leader; and to the legislators across America who elected me as President of the National Conference of State Legislatures. I enjoyed all of it immensely, and gave it my all. I think I made a contribution.

I have been fortunate to have the assistance of able and dedicated legislative staff throughout this time, and I do not have words sufficient to express how appreciative I am for their dedication to our State.

Betsy, Dan and Will have been unfailingly supportive, as have my law partners, and my brother Jack at the farm, and I thank them for their sacrifices.

Ridiculous Republic Redistricting!??????That's how it works...And it did in 16 states...for the next 10 years. NC's passed the sniff test of Eric Holder...of Black Pather fame, it cannot get much better than that.But let us recall, 2001 NC Supreme cout ruling on Stephenson V Bartlett and why it was brought to the bar to begin with...It may have some more applications yet.... cw  Weakness is provocative.
"One of the most noble things you can do is kill the enemy."-Maj. Douglas Zembiec

I suppose, especially considering the handicap the reptards are working with: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/27/intelligence-study-links-prejudice_n_1237796.html?ref=mostpopularalthough I guess turn about is fair play....... Cam

 Cam, I'm Not familar w/ that party.The iron clutch the Democrat party created here in their terror (See:pic in your link)  after reconstruction has been unchecked till the law and the NCSC case I mentioned . The Republican Governors and Black Reps did not last long after the Klan showed up  suppressing the black vote. The twelve district margins in both houses that was finally balanced by the court, coupled w/ blowback created by a wildly unpopular president... finally turned the legislature over at just  the right time for the census. Its not a big deal on an individual state level...but toss in those other 15 states!On that level, redistricting is a big deal. Strange how no one seemed to think about it when they were creating the fertile gound for the Tea Party. If you look closely (as I have not done for Mr. Hackney (Bev comes to mind)), in many state wide races and more importantly Nationaly... officials have lost the desire to run either due to redstricting or a combination involving public sentiment. On the NC level, it provides the state w/ ten years of cleaning up and leveling of a hundred years + of fortified entrenchments. cw Weakness is provocative.
"One of the most noble things you can do is kill the enemy."-Maj. Douglas Zembiec