THE
State Employees Association of North Carolina, SEIU Local 2008 P.O. Drawer 27727, Raleigh, NC • www.seanc.org 800-222-2758 • 919-833-6436 • Circulation 55,000
May 2012
• Vol. 30, Issue 6
SEANC, Treasurer’s Office Settle Suit by Jonathan
Owens
SEANC Communications Specialist
In mid-March, SEANC officially settled a lawsuit filed against the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer in 2008 over public records requests pertaining to investment decisions made with the state pension fund by then-Treasurer Richard Moore. SEANC agreed to settle the suit because it determined that current N.C. State Treasurer Janet Cowell has sufficiently satisfied the association’s public records request. “This is a victory for anyone who believes in open government,” SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope said. “We fought to ensure that our members’ pensions weren’t being used to further Richard Moore’s
political ambitions. While we do not believe we received all the records we requested, we feel confident we have now obtained sufficient records to address our concerns, and at the end of the day it indeed seems like there were questions about some of Moore’s activities.” The suit stemmed from records
requests filed by SEANC in March and October 2007 after an article in Forbes magazine suggested that Moore had engaged in “pay to play” tactics regarding investments he made with state employees’ pensions. The contentious legal battle culminated in June 2010 with the state Supreme Court overturning a trial court’s dismissal of the case, stating by unanimous decision that under public records law, SEANC had stated a valid claim for production of records held by Moore. “State employees, retirees and taxpayers are now vindicated by the successful conclusion of this ugly holdover from the 2008 Gubernatorial Primary,” Cope said.
jowens@seanc.org
Vote Linda Coleman for Lt. Governor on May 8 There is only one politician that SEANC refers to as its hero, former state representative and Office of State Personnel Director Linda Coleman. Coleman earned the title SEANC Hero back in 2006 when she single-handedly held up the state budget in support of vital public services and the people who provide them. No politician has done Coleman that before or since
See page 3 for EMPAC’s legislative endorsements
for state employees. In 2008, Coleman was awarded the first EMPAC Legislator of the Year Award for her efforts to secure pay raises for state employees. As director of the state personnel office, she has led implementation of Executive Order 45 which provides a partnership between managers and employees to produce cost-efficiencies, improves morale and strengthens communication in state agencies. Her door is always open for state employees because she is a champion of those who need one—the working families who make up the 99 percent. Because she’s had our back for years, we have the chance to return the favor now and endorse Linda Coleman for Lt. Governor of the great state of North Carolina.