It was an interesting front page on Jan. 5. Above the fold on the right side, the Legislature is considering reprimanding or impeaching the governor for his actions interfering with a private organization that receives some of its funding from the state.

On the left side, also above the fold, the governor’s attorney in a filing with the U.S. District Court claims the governor is immune from a lawsuit for his actions that resulted in someone losing the job he had been offered.

The governor is arguing that he can’t be held accountable by individuals for actions using state funding to force institutions to do whatever he wants. What if he doesn’t like someone who is hired to be a police chief or even a beat cop? How about someone hired to be a school superintendent or a principal or a teacher or an ed tech?

What evidence do we have to think, “Oh, he wouldn’t stoop that low.”

If he gets away with this high-profile interference with no more than a reprimand, the Legislature will have given the governor a green light for three more years to use state money and his bully pulpit as a cudgel for whatever suits his fancy.

Jim Perkins

Wayne

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