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Prison bound: Once one of North Carolina’s most potent forces at the General Assembly, Dana Cope is now heading to prison. The former head of the State Employees Association of North Carolina (SEANC) faced Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens this week, telling the judge he is a thief. Cope pleaded guilty to felonies – essentially stealing more than $500,000 from the organization he led for more than a decade. You’ll hear Cope’s words to the judge and what the judge says to him as he sentenced Cope to between five and seven years in prison. Then host Donna Martinez discusses Cope’s lobbying legacy with Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson. The two also discuss SEANC’s political involvement through its political arm and how Cope’s prison sentence may impact the role SEANC plays in the 2016 election cycle. Then we turn to the surprise political story of the week: the political debate over whether Syrian refugees should be allowed to continue entering North Carolina. You’ll hear Gov. Pat McCrory discuss his request to President Obama that no more refugees be sent to North Carolina until the backgrounds/vetting of the refugees can be improved to ensure they are, indeed, refugees and are not a threat to safety. The debate comes in the wake of the ISIS terrorist attack on Paris, where law enforcement officials say the terrorist ring leader posed as a refugee to enter Europe.  You’ll also hear North Carolina Congressman Richard Hudson discuss his bill to halt the flow. That’s followed by President Obama’s comments in opposition to the effort to stop the influx of refugees. The president said those who support a pause are afraid of widows and orphans. Also opposing the pause is 4th District Congressman David Price, who explains the vetting process. Then Rick Henderson rejoins Martinez to discuss the refugee debate, which was one of the subjects aired at a legislative committee meeting this week. State lawmakers endorsed the governor’s position. Henderson also provides an update on the committee discussion about a prison maintenance contract held by a donor to the governor and whether or not the contract extension was proper. The two also discuss the latest candidate news, where things are heating up in the 6th and 7th congressional district. New 6th District Rep. Mark Walker is facing a primary challenge, and the same fate could be waiting for 7th District Rep. David Rouzer.