Larry Pittman

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Larry Pittman
LGPittman.jpg
Member of the
North Carolina House of Representatives
Assumed office
October 10, 2011
Preceded byJeffrey L. Barnhart
Constituency82nd District (2011-2019)
83rd District (2019-present)
Personal details
Born (1954-09-30) September 30, 1954 (age 67)
Kinston, North Carolina
Political partyRepublican
OccupationPastor

Larry G. Pittman (born September 30, 1954) is a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly.[1] He represents the 83rd district.[2]

Background[]

In February 2017, Pittman co-sponsored a bill allowing the removal of the ban on North Carolina seceding from the Union ever again. In March 2017 he co-sponsored a bill to once again make gay marriages not valid in North Carolina. Responding to criticisms to both bills, Pittman made controversial statements that were widely reported in the news media.[3][4][5] In March 2016, Pittman was a co-sponsor of North Carolina's Bathroom bill.[6]

HB 147[]

In February 2017, Pittman joined with Representatives Michael Speciale (R-Craven) and George Cleveland (R-Jacksonville) in proposing a constitutional amendment that would allow North Carolina voters to repeal Article I, Section 4 of the North Carolina Constitution. This article declares that "This State shall ever remain a member of the American Union; the people thereof are part of the American nation," and prohibits the state from seceding from the United States of America; its inclusion in North Carolina’s 1868 constitution was a condition for being readmitted into the Union after the Civil War.[7] The bill passed the first reading on February 22, 2017, and was referred to the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House.[8]

HB 780[]

Pittman, Speciale, and Representative Carl Ford (R-China Grove) sponsored House Bill 780, which was introduced on March 14, 2017. This bill would end North Carolina's recognition of same sex marriage in disregard of the US Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges and cites the Bible as justification for this disregard.[9] The bill passed the first reading on April 13, 2017, and was referred to the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House.[10] On the same day, however, state house speaker Tim Moore stated that the bill would not proceed further due to concerns about its constitutionality. In North Carolina, it is a common practice for bills that lack the support of party leadership to be sent to the Rules Committee to die.[11][12]

Controversial statements[]

On March 22, 2017, Pittman posted a newsletter on his Facebook page, giving his constituents an update on his activities. Numerous constituents posted comments, and Pittman responded with controversial statements.

On June 15, 2020, the NC lawmaker posted on his Facebook page calling Seattle BLM protesters 'thugs' and 'vermin' and suggested police 'shoot' those resisting arrest.[13]

U.S. Supreme Court "opinion"[]

In response to a commenter's criticism of HB 780, Pittman posted a comment on April 11, 2017, stating that North Carolina should uphold traditional marriage "in spite of the opinion of a federal court that had no business interfering."[14][15]

Lincoln-Hitler comparison[]

Pittman's post in reference to the U.S. Supreme Court led to several comments on states' rights and a post telling Pittman that the Civil War was over, the Union had won, and to "get over it". Pittman responded in a post on April 12, 2017, saying: "And if Hitler had won, should the world just get over it? Lincoln was the same sort if [sic] tyrant, and personally responsible for the deaths of over 800,000 Americans in a war that was unnecessary and unconstitutional."[13][14][16] He later deleted the post.[15]

Climate change statement[]

In July 2012, Pittman issued a controversial statement regarding climate change: "Our climate runs on a cycle. It goes up and it goes down and the Lord designed it that way. And the main thing that causes global warming is the Earth's relationship to a big ball of gas that's burning out there that we call the Sun. And it is the height of hubris for human beings to think that we can have any effect on that."[17]

Summary Execution for Protestors[]

In a June 2020 Facebook post, in response to the national protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd, Pittman called protesters "vermin" and "thugs" and opined that if they "resist and attack" police should shoot them.[18]

References[]

  1. ^ "Larry Pittman's Biography - The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2017-04-13.
  2. ^ "North Carolina General Assembly - Representative Larry G. Pittman (Republican, 2015-2016 Session)". www.ncleg.net. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  3. ^ Sziemasko, Corky (2017-04-13). "North Carolina Politician Under Fire for Comparing Abraham Lincoln to Hitler". NBC News. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
  4. ^ Holley, Peter (2017-04-12). "A Southern lawmaker called Lincoln a 'tyrant' and compared him to Hitler". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
  5. ^ Gerretsen, Isabelle (2017-04-13). "North Lawmaker Larry Pittman Calls Lincoln a 'Tyrant' like Hitler". Newsweek. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
  6. ^ "House Bill 2". General Assembly of North Carolina Session 2016. 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
  7. ^ Colin Campbell (2017-02-21). "NC constitution's ban on secession could be dropped under House bill". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 2017-04-13.
  8. ^ "House Bill 147". General Assembly of North Carolina Session 2017. 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
  9. ^ "Uphold Historical Marriage Act. – HOUSE BILL DRH10214-MM-60 (03/14)". GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2017. 2017-04-11. Retrieved 2017-04-13.
  10. ^ "House Bill 780". NCGA North Carolina General Assembly. 2017-04-13. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  11. ^ Campbell, Colin (2017-04-13). "Proposed gay marriage ban is dead in NC House, speaker says". The News & Observer.
  12. ^ Laura Leslie; Matthew Burns (2017-04-11). "House speaker: Gay marriage ban bill going nowhere". WRAL-TV.
  13. ^ a b Billman, Jeffrey C. (2017-04-12). "N.C. Representative Larry Pittman Calls Abraham Lincoln the "Same Sort [of] Tyrant" as Hitler and We Are Not Even Making That Up". Indyweek.com. Retrieved 2017-04-13.
  14. ^ a b Morrill, Jim (2017-04-12). "NC lawmaker calls Abraham Lincoln a 'tyrant' like Hitler". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  15. ^ a b Mazza, Ed (2017-04-12). "GOP Lawmaker Compares 'Tyrant' Abraham Lincoln to Adolf Hitler". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
  16. ^ Holley, Peter (2017-04-12). "A Southern lawmaker called Lincoln a 'tyrant' and compared him to Hitler". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-04-13.
  17. ^ https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/television/2017/06/05/oliver-trump-pulling-out-paris-accord-could-have-catastrophic-effect/oGMBpcqHgmsI2l1L9uMMtM/story.html
  18. ^ Morrill, Jim (June 16, 2020). "NC lawmaker blasts Black Lives Matter, calls protesters 'thugs' and 'vermin'". Charlotte Observer.

External links[]

North Carolina House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
from the 82nd district
2011–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
from the 83rd district
2019–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from ""