mark-meadows

• Rep. Mark Meadows, R-10th District, has introduced a resolution requesting the immediate removal of John Boehner as speaker of the House. Meadows said the move was “really more about trying to have a conversation on making this place work, where everybody’s voice matters, where there’s not a punitive culture. Hopefully, we’ll have some discussion about that in the days and weeks to come.” Meadows briefly was deposed from the top slot on a House oversight subcommittee several weeks ago and then reinstated.

• The surprise immediate resignation of state Transportation Secretary Tony Tata came several weeks after he dismissed rumors that he would challenge veteran Rep. Walter Jones (a fellow Republican) in the 3rd Congressional District. Tata said he wants to spend more time with his family and continue his career as a novelist.

• Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr doesn’t have a Democratic opponent for the 2016 election cycle (yet), but that isn’t stopping outside groups from running attack ads. The left-wing League of Conservation Voters has launched two ads claiming that by opposing proposed EPA regulations on coal-burning power plants, Burr supports “unlimited carbon pollution” (whatever that is). Burr says the new rules would raise energy costs without reducing carbon emissions. One of the ads follows.

https://youtu.be/MmOBRc1eQkU

• State Sen. Josh Stein, D-Wake, who’s expected to run for attorney general in 2016, reported $1.1 million cash on hand in his second quarter campaign finance reports. A likely Republican contender for AG, Sen. Buck Newton of Wilson, had not filed his report at press time.

• Freshman Rep. Alma Adams, D-12th District, may face a familiar opponent in next year’s Democratic primary: Former state Sen. Malcolm Graham of Charlotte, who served with Adams in the General Assembly and who lost to Adams in the 2014 party primary. Graham is hinting at another run for the seat, and this profile of Adams notes that the representative from Greensboro has put significant effort into winning over constituents in the 12th District’s largest city.