Kudos to the governor and the legislature, both Democrats and Republicans. Yesterday, they announced a compromise to get our schools open while protecting school personnel. After rancorous debate that included the veto of an earlier bill and failed override vote, the Republican-controlled legislature and Roy Cooper and his Democratic allies came to an agreement. That’s the way government is supposed to work and it’s great to see it happen. 

The bill itself made tweaks that the governor wanted in the original bill while keeping the GOP’s commitment to getting students back into the classroom. All districts will now need to offer students the option of in-person learning. The bill comes at a time when cases of coronavirus are dropping and vaccinations are increasing but students are still struggling with predominantly online instruction. Our children and communities should benefit from the legislation.

I am glad they worked out the compromise. I have long believed children need to be back in the classroom. I’m just as excited that our democracy worked. Vigorous, even contentious, debate is part of our system. Political leaders aren’t supposed to agree on much. They are supposed to fight it out to a draw and that’s what happened. Divided government provided a good result. 

Now, neither side is particularly happy. The North Carolina Association of Educators released a statement criticizing the bill for not mandating social distancing. Some of Cooper’s detractors thought he had stalled for a decision that could have been done through an executive order. That means the legislature and the governor probably got it right. 

I am glad to see government functioning. For too long, we’ve watched dysfunction. Republicans in North Carolina have become accustom to ramming legislation through with no obstacles. As we became more polarized as a state and nation, they had little dissent within their ranks on almost any issue and no reason to reach across the aisle for support. With Cooper a popular governor, they now need to compromise to govern. I am glad neither side gave up on the legislation and stuck with it until they got a bill. We need to see more of this work in Raleigh. 

The incident reminds me a bit of the HB-2 compromise. The agreement back then left most people on both sides unhappy. It left in place discriminatory practices, but put a deadline on them. Now that they’ve passed, municipalities are putting in place nondiscrimination ordinances and nobody is really noticing. The cooling-down period inherent in that compromise ended up good for the long-term even if gratification was delayed. If schools are operating on a normal schedule next year, much of this debate will be largely forgotten, even if the impact of school closings might be felt for years.