(The Center Square) – Embattled state Rep. Cecil Brockman’s court appearance in North Carolina was delayed until Friday.
A medical emergency involving the sixth-term Democrat from Guilford County prevented him from making it Thursday. Brockman is facing charges of two counts statutory sex offense with a child and two counts indecent liberties with a child.
Court records indicate the 41-year-old is charged in offenses with a 15-year-old.
Brockman represents District 60, or the southwestern corner of Guilford County inclusive of High Point. He’s vice chairman in the Committee on Education K-12, and a member of five others – Agriculture and Environment; Appropriations; Appropriations Education; Energy and Public Utilities; and Health. He also is a member of the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee.
Calls for his resignation have been made by the leadership of the House of Representatives, Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, and the North Carolina Democratic Party. Brockman has at times been an ally to Republicans to overturn vetoes of first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein and former two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
He’s also had a public dispute with his state party, saying it seeks “a seat warmer who does nothing, sacrificing their own community’s needs for the desires of the wealthy and white Democratic elite.”
Democrats are in a 71-49 minority in the House. That means when it comes to vetoes, all 49 can stop an override if united; the threshold for passage is three-fifths majority, or 72 if all 120 vote.
