Legislature
Health committee members want Medicaid-funded doula services in NC
Members of a group seeking to improve the health of pregnant North Carolina residents before and after they give birth want to continue to advocate for state support to make doula services available to people on Medicaid. Doulas are non-medical aides who provide information and support to parents before, during, and shortly after the birth […]
Democrats are outraising Republicans in competitive NC legislative districts
Last year’s redistricting left only a handful of competitive legislative districts in North Carolina as Republicans in the General Assembly moved to solidify their veto-proof majorities. Two of the competitive Senate districts are in Wake County, where Democratic candidates are so far winning the money race. Democrat Terence Everitt decided to relinquish his House seat […]
NC House overrides three gubernatorial vetoes; Senate prospects unclear
The North Carolina House of Representatives acted quickly and with limited debate to override three gubernatorial vetoes on Wednesday. The trio of bills are related to low-speed vehicles, landlord-tenant disputes, and digital currency payments. In each case, at least two Democrats joined with all Republicans who were present to support the overrides. Although the Senate […]
School choice advocates want NC lawmakers to clear voucher waitlist, but vote unlikely until fall
Advocates for school choice called on North Carolina lawmakers Wednesday to clear the waitlist for families seeking scholarships under the state’s private school voucher program. Roughly 55,000 applicants are on the waitlist under the Opportunity Scholarship program for K-12 students. Lawmakers are unlikely to address the waitlist in the immediate future — the House came […]
Legislators get cold feet on gun safety, leave popular bipartisan programs underfunded
Earlier this month, North Carolina legislators returned home after a busy session in which they passed bills on everything from banning masking to allowing takeout cocktails. I know it’s hard to compete with mobile margaritas, but I can’t help but feel like our priorities are out of whack. So many other important initiatives got left […]
Another veteran legislator steps down from the NC General Assembly
Rep. Ashton Wheeler Clemmons announced Tuesday that she will be resigning from the North Carolina House of Representatives in August to start a new position within the University of North Carolina System. Clemmons, a Democrat, has represented Guilford County for three terms, serving most recently as the House Deputy Democratic Leader. Having worked as an […]
NC legislator who championed online sports betting resigns
Rep. Jason Saine, a chief House budget writer who has served more than six terms, is resigning his seat. The NC Tribune was first to report Saine’s resignation. Saine told WRAL his resignation will become effective on Aug. 12. Saine was the force behind expanded gambling in the state. He worked for years to legalize […]
Cooper approves bill that preserves, updates automatic expunction law
A debate over a state law that governs the expunction of criminal records was resolved quickly and quietly before state lawmakers left town in late June, allowing automatic expunctions to resume on July 1 for certain “dismissed” or “not guilty” verdicts. On Monday, Gov. Roy Cooper signed a measure (Senate Bill 565) that makes revisions […]
The courts have decided on school calendar flexibility; why are legislative leaders fighting it?
A decades-long battle over school calendars is now playing out in the courts. On one side are public schools. According to WRAL, “About 27 of the state’s 115 school systems are expected to start their upcoming school year before” the August 26 start date laid out under the state’s General Statutes. Education versus vacation These schools […]
NC lawmakers question their $500 million investment in a private nonprofit
Members of the House Select Committee on Oversight and Reform on Tuesday grilled the president and CEO of NCInnovation, a private nonprofit that was awarded $500 million in the 2023 biennial state budget despite a widespread lack of understanding among lawmakers as to how the money would be used or how the projects would be […]
Cooper vetoes bills on building codes and digital currency
Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a pair of bills Friday that would have made a series of changes to building codes and banned payments to the state using central bank digital currencies. Senate Bill 166 would have imposed limits and regulations on how waste water and electrical systems can be installed across the state. It passed […]
Cooper vetoes two bills, signs vape regulations & conservation tax credit
Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday vetoed a pair of bills that would have allowed certain off-road vehicles on North Carolina highways and curbed local governments’ involvement in rental disputes. Cooper signed four other bills into law, including an agriculture bill that contains tax credits for conservation efforts and new regulations on vaping products. House Bill […]