Philip E. Berger

Philip Edward Berger (born August 8, 1952) is a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's twenty-sixth Senate district, including constituents in Guilford and Rockingham counties.[1]

Phil Berger
President pro tempore of the North Carolina Senate
Assumed office
January 26, 2011
Preceded byMarc Basnight
Member of the North Carolina Senate
Assumed office
January 1, 2001
Preceded byDon East
Constituency12th district (2001-2003)
26th district (2003-2019)
30th district (2019-present)
Personal details
Born
Philip Edward Berger

(1952-08-08) August 8, 1952
New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Pat Berger
Children3
EducationDanville Community College
Averett University (BA)
Wake Forest University (JD)
WebsiteGovernment website

An attorney born in New York, Berger was first elected to the North Carolina Senate in 2000. He became minority (Republican) 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]

Berger authored voter ID legislation that a federal appeals court found to have targeted "African-Americans with almost surgical precision."[4] Berger has contested the decision as politically motivated.[5]

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[6] in 1980 and a law degree from Wake Forest University[6] in 1982, after which he entered law practice.

Voting rights

Discriminatory voter ID laws

In 2016, Berger authored voter ID legislation that was deemed to "target African Americans with almost surgical precision.[7] The opinion was written by Diana Motz, a Judge on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and was criticized by Berger as a "decision by three partisan Democrats."[8] The three judges working on the case were appointed by Democratic Presidents; 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.[9]

In 2018, a referendum for a Constitutional amendment was approved by a majority of voters.[10] Berger voted to pass legislation that would enroll the amendment later in the year during a lame-duck session.[11]

In 2019, a North Carolina judge offered an opinion that the General Assembly was illegally constituted and unable to make law.[12] However, the Governor did enroll the amendment and it remains a portion of the Constitution. Further court proceedings are underway.[13]

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.[14]

Personal life

He is married to Patricia Hays;[6] 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. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  4. Blinder, Alan; Wines, Michael (February 22, 2019). "Republican Cries Against Voter Fraud Go Mostly Quiet After Scheme Tied to Party". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  5. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article92593512.html
  6. "Board of Visitors - Directory". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  7. http://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/nc-4th.pdf
  8. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article92593512.html
  9. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/voter-id-laws-supreme-court-north-carolina.html
  10. "NC voters approve 4 constitutional amendments, including Voter ID".
  11. https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2018/11/27/nc-voter-id-dominates-general-assembly-lame-duck-session/2133133002/
  12. "North Carolina voter ID law struck down".
  13. https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/431513-nc-republicans-appeal-judge-decision-tossing-mandatory-voter-id
  14. Harrison, Steve. "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
North Carolina Senate
Preceded by
Marc Basnight		 President pro tempore of the North Carolina Senate
2011–present		 Incumbent
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