PRESS RELEASE
Senator Rick Gunn

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: [email protected]
August 9, 2019
He's Just Not That Into You

Gov. Cooper has ghosted Sen. Berger and blacklisted nearly all forms of modern communication between the two
(It helps if you read this while listening to "In Your Eyes." Here's a link.)

Raleigh, N.C. – Governor Roy Cooper just isn't that into Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham). As reported by The Insider this morning, " Gov. Roy Cooper appears to have 'ghosted' Senate leader Phil Berger, and didn't respond to attempts to set up meetings to discuss the state budget in-person, or answer questions about what would need to be included in the state budget for him to sign it."

Senator Berger has been asking Governor Cooper to drop his blanket refusal to sign any budget unless Medicaid expansion first becomes law. In the last few months, even as he issues press releases about "negotiating," Governor Cooper has problems communicating with Senator Berger using the following mediums:

  • Letter: "I was hoping we could stop with the letters" -- Roy Cooper to Phil Berger, June 24, 2019.
  • Text message: "Our office prefers not to negotiate over text message." -- Roy Cooper's spokesman, August 8, 2019.
  • Public conversation: "Cooper's spokeswoman told us the governor is not going to debate." -- Charlotte Observer, July 30, 2019. Cooper has also declined joint interview requests with Senator Berger from WRAL, WUNC, and Spectrum News.
  • Phone call: When Senator Berger has called Governor Cooper directly, Cooper sends a staff member over to the Legislative Building to speak with Berger's staff. It seems like the only time Cooper calls Berger directly is after a negative press story.
  • In-person meeting: The last time Governor Cooper asked to meet in person was when Governor Cooper knew Senator Berger was on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, in Germany.
  • E-mail: Governor Cooper doesn't use e-mail.

Senator Rick Gunn (R-Alamance) said, "It looks like Morse code and smoke signals are the only remaining modes of communication that Governor Cooper hasn't restricted. I wouldn't be surprised if you see attempts to send the following message in one of those ways: 'Dear Governor Cooper, have you dropped your Medicaid-or-nothing ultimatum yet so we can actually negotiate a budget that you'll sign?'"

Sadly, Governor Cooper just isn't that into Senator Berger.

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