News 14 Carolina - Political Connections

Sen. Marc Basnight's absence will be interesting to follow. Depending on the length and seriousness of his absence the dynamic of the conference committee to reach a budget compromise to say the least.

His office says he's on temporary leave to deal with a family illness and is in contact with Raleigh several times a day.

He has told leadership what their specific roles are in his absence. That tells me and others I've talked to he may be gone more than just a few days.

There are some lawmakers who are indeed nervous about the impact this may have on both the content and timing of getting a budget passed.

With that all in mind and politics aside, let's keep our thoughts with the Basnight family.