Phil Berger (politician)

Philip Edward Berger (born August 8, 1952) is a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's thirtieth Senate district, which includes Caswell, Rockingham, Stokes, and Surry counties.[1]

Phil Berger
President pro tempore of the North Carolina Senate
Assumed office
January 26, 2011
Preceded byMarc Basnight
Minority Leader of the North Carolina Senate
In office
January 1, 2005 – January 1, 2011
Preceded byPatrick Ballantine
Succeeded byMartin Nesbitt
Member of the North Carolina Senate
Assumed office
January 1, 2001
Preceded byDon East
Constituency12th district (2001–2003)
26th district (2003–2019, 2023–present)
30th district (2019–2023)
Personal details
Born
Philip Edward Berger

(1952-08-08) August 8, 1952
New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpousePatricia Hays
Children3, including Phil Jr.
EducationDanville Community College
Averett University (BA)
Wake Forest University (JD)
Websitehttps://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/S/64

An attorney born in New York, Berger was first elected to the North Carolina Senate in 2000. He became minority leader in 2004, and in 2010, he was selected by his fellow Republicans as their choice for the next Senate President Pro Tem.[1][2] Berger was officially elected president Pro Tem when the legislature opened on January 26, 2011.[3]

Early life and education

Berger was born in New Rochelle, New York; he graduated from George Washington High School in Danville, Virginia in 1970 and studied briefly at Danville Community College. Berger earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Averett College[4] in 1980 and a J.D. degree from Wake Forest University School of Law[4] in 1982, after which he entered law practice.

Voting rights

Voter ID laws

In 2016, Berger supported voter ID legislation. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals deemed the laws to "target African Americans with almost surgical precision[5] in an opinion written by Diana Motz, an appointee of President Bill Clinton. Berger criticized the ruling as a "decision by three partisan Democrats."[6] Democratic Presidents appointed the three judges working on the case; however, only two have been directly associated with the Democratic party.

In 2017, the Supreme Court chose not to take up the case, allowing the lower court's decision to stand.[7]

In 2018, a referendum for a Constitutional amendment was approved by a majority of voters.[8] Berger voted to pass legislation that would enroll the amendment later in the year during a lame-duck session.[9]

In 2019, a North Carolina judge offered an opinion that the General Assembly was illegally constituted and unable to make law.[10] However, the Governor d enrolled the amendment, which remains a portion of the Constitution. Further court proceedings are underway.[11]

COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Berger led Republican opposition to North Carolina Board of Elections recommendations to make voting by mail easier.[12]

Personal life

He is married to Patricia Hays;[4] they have three children, Philip Jr., Kevin, and Ashley as well as four grandchildren.

References
  1. "Senator Phil Berger (Republican, 2009-2010 Session)". North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  2. News & Observer: Phil Berger picked by GOP for top NC Senate job Archived November 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  3. "WRAL.com/Associated Press: GOP-led legislature begins with budget, maps ahead". Wral.com. January 26, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  4. "Board of Visitors - Directory". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  5. http://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/nc-4th.pdf
  6. "US 4th Circuit overturns NC voter ID law | News & Observer". Archived from the original on July 30, 2016.
  7. Liptak, Adam; Wines, Michael (May 15, 2017). "Strict North Carolina Voter ID Law Thwarted After Supreme Court Rejects Case". The New York Times.
  8. "NC voters approve 4 constitutional amendments, including Voter ID".
  9. "NC lame duck session begins, with voter ID the chief task".
  10. "North Carolina voter ID law struck down".
  11. "NC GOP appeals decision tossing mandatory voter ID amendment". February 26, 2019.
  12. Harrison, Steve (April 2020). "Top NC Republican Dismisses Ideas To Make Mail Voting Easier". www.wunc.org. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  1. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article68401147.html
  2. http://wunc.org/post/sifting-through-facts-house-bill-2#stream/0
  3. http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/outside_the_loop/2016/04/red-ventures-reconsiders-staff-up-at-charlotte.html
  4. http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/outside_the_loop/2016/04/red-ventures-reconsiders-staff-up-at-charlotte.html
  5. http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/under-the-dome/article68797392.html
  6. http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article69320567.html NCAA basketball tournament
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20160331095445/http://press.highpointmarket.org/market-press-releases/300 statement
  8. https://web.archive.org/web/20170207020036/http://www.cggc.duke.edu/pdfs/2013-09-30HighPointMarket-economic-impact-analysis-1.pdf
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