By Sam Doughton, Managing Editor

During non-election years, it can seem like politics don’t really matter. The issues that people were suddenly passionate about last year fade to the back of their minds. I’m guilty of this myself: I find I talk about politics less and less until the next election cycle begins.

But the actions taken this summer by our Republican-led General Assembly in Raleigh caught my attention. The policies they and Gov. Pat McCrory made law over the summer sparked widespread protests within the state, drew national media coverage and threw years of progress by the wayside through misguided budget cuts and efforts to curtail voter fraud.

For years, North Carolina was considered one of the most progressive states in the South. Governors such as Jim Hunt put education at the top of the state’s priority list and North Carolina consistently tested higher than other Southern states. Additionally, North Carolina was one of the first Southern states to embrace the Voting Rights Act of 1963 and curtail discriminatory actions that attempted to prevent African-Americans from voting.

Our state legislature this summer, however, has caused that sterling reputation to disappear by passing drastic budget cuts to the education system and a voter ID law that has been called one of the most restrictive and expansive in the country. This has sparked widespread “Moral Monday” protests in Raleigh by concerned citizens.

Critics of the ID law state that the law’s true intent is not to curtail voter fraud, but instead to attempt to discourage key Democratic block voters – minorities, the young and the poor – from turning out to vote. This was done through a variety of add-ons to the bill that was passed in the General Assembly that ended pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds, reduced early voting days by one week, ended same-day voter registration and closed many precincts due to budget cuts.

Voter ID laws themselves are common sense. You have to show a photo ID for mundane tasks such as buying cold medicine or boarding an airplane. Showing a photo ID to vote should be expected, and I applaud the state for making photo ID a requirement. Where the law’s true purpose begins to reveal itself is the excess provisions added to the bill. There is no logical reason relating to voter fraud to end pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds. All it does is make it more difficult for young voters to vote.

Same-day registration and early voting is primarily used by voters likely to vote Democratic and only serves as a suppression tool against those voters. The state should encourage as many people as possible to exercise their right to vote, and the new restrictions fail to do so.

The changes that affect us the most as students are the state budget cuts in education. In addition to general cuts across the board that will send less money to the state’s school districts, teacher compensation has been cut as well. Teachers will no longer receive a higher salary for advanced degrees such as a master’s or a doctorate. This will lead to difficulties in attracting the best and brightest young teachers to come teach in North Carolina. The general budget cuts will force schools to continue to use outdated technology and textbooks in the classroom.

My calculus and chemistry textbooks have been used for many years in the system, and have been used so often that they both have been re-bound. The Reynolds English department is constantly forced to use copies of novels that clearly are not in good shape. Not having adequate materials in the classroom inhibits our ability to learn as students.

Additionally, the state’s funding to public colleges and universities have been cut. This will lead to more rises in tuition costs for students. At a time when tuition costs are already very high for the average student, facilitating further rises in costs should be avoided.

Yes, given the financial state of our state government, cuts had to be made. But gutting our education system of its funds is not the way to go about it. Did the General Assembly ever consider a more balanced approach involving raising taxes such as the sales tax slightly in order to make more revenue?

After these two major pieces of legislation were passed, the state quickly became the subject of pieces on comedy shows such as the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Once your state becomes a punch line, people will not want to move here. Companies will not want to move here and bring jobs.

And honestly, I’m not sure I’d really want to live here, either.