Sen. Phil Berger on Short Session, Budget, and the NC Senate as an Institution

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger sits down for a candid conversation about the legislative short session and the question everyone in #ncpol is asking: Will the House and Senate actually come together on a new budget? Sen. Berger also reflects on his unsuccessful run for the NC House in 1994, his successful bid for NC Senate six years later, and talks about spending a decade in the minority. We also dig into the pivotal 2010 shift to a Republican majority, Berger’s perspective on that transition, and his respect for the way his Democratic predecessor, Sen. Marc Basnight, navigated a change in power. Skye and Brian also run through a packed week in #ncpol: another round of party hopping in the House, budget talks, a brewing dispute over access to water, the passing of a former senator, and a deleted #TOTW salvaged. Along the way, there’s also a detour into “slippery when wet” signage at the General Assembly.   The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the American Heart Association, the NC Pork Council, the NC Realtors, Heal the System NC, and the NC Healthcare Association.