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Weekend reads: Public education’s ‘state of emergency’, lawmakers’ new wager on video gambling, and a bad week for NC waterways
In this week’s top news: 1. Gov. Roy Cooper declares ‘state of emergency’ for public education By Greg Childress Gov. Roy Cooper went on the attack Monday, blasting away at Republican legislation that he contends will “choke the life out of public education” in North Carolina. The Democratic governor said that it’s time to declare […]
Proposal to authorize video gambling machines draws mixed reviews in state House committee
Representative Harry Warren (R-Rowan) has been trying for more than a decade to address the proliferation of video gambling machines that can be found in bars, restaurants and “sweepstakes parlors” across the state. Warren hopes this year with House Bill 512, he’s found a winner. The “Forgivable Loans/HBCU Supplemental Funding” bill, first discussed Tuesday in […]
One on one with Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the NC State Board of Elections
The November 2024 general election is more than 530 days away. We don’t know who will be on the ballot. We don’t know the key issue that will drive voters to the polls. But what we do know is that this month and next could be among the most critical for the North Carolina State […]
Sen. Rachel Hunt on the abortion ban and a troubling path Republicans are paving for public schools
This past week at the NC General Assembly saw the final enactment of a deeply controversial ban on abortion care as well as the state Senate’s version of a new two-year state budget. Unfortunately, despite the scope, importance and controversial nature of these bills, the opportunities for real input from senators and representatives – especially […]
State Board of Elections director Karen Brinson Bell on important changes coming to NC elections
A trio of rulings handed down by the Republican majority of the North Carolina Supreme Court will soon bring some big and important changes to the state’s elections. Not only will a photo ID now be required for all who cast ballots – even by mail – but thousands of formerly incarcerated people who regained […]
Weekend reads: The latest on NC abortion restrictions, the state budget, protecting our voter rolls….and bombs in swamps?!? Really.
In this issue: 1. NC legislature overrides governor’s veto of abortion ban to make new restrictions law By Lynn Bonner Republican state legislators overturned Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a 12-week abortion ban Tuesday as hundreds of spectators packed the chamber galleries or watched from the hallway. Cooper’s veto was canceled in party-line votes […]
GOP senators decline to explain reason for controversial budget provision
Spending bill would bar funding for pregnancy prevention, adolescent services Members of the Senate Appropriations committee got their first look at the $29.7 billion proposed state budget Senate Republican rolled out on Monday. As the budget writers took turns sharing highlights of the massive bill, Sen. Natasha Marcus (D-Mecklenburg Co.) wanted to know why the […]
ACLU of NC Senior Policy Counsel Liz Barber on how SB20 would actually impact reproductive rights
In a sudden move that largely threw traditional legislative processes to the wind, the Republican majority of the North Carolina General Assembly passed a far-reaching bill recently that would erect large and burdensome roadblocks from the moment of conception for patients seeking abortion care. On the day following the final vote, NC Newsline caught up […]
Jina Dhillon of IPAS on how SB20 would put North Carolina at odds with trends around the world
North Carolina is on the precipice of enacting problematic legislation that would turn back the clock a half-century and insert state government officials into the most private and intimate reproductive healthcare decisions of pregnant North Carolinians. Jina Dhillon, the Policy and Advocacy manager at the Triangle-based global reproductive health organization IPAS, explains to NC Newline […]
Rep. Ashton Wheeler Clemmons discusses the rushed process for SB20 and the impact on young girls
When most people think about legislators writing, debating, and enacting new state laws, most envision solemn and deliberate proceedings chock-full of parliamentary procedure and lengthy committee hearings featuring an array of witnesses, experts and amendments. Unfortunately, that’s not how it usually works in Raleigh. And that was especially the case recently when lawmakers rushed through […]
Weekend reads: Veto rally sets up a legislative showdown, the latest battles in education, and a new face enters the 2024 race for NC governor
In this issue: 1. Crowd cheers Gov. Roy Cooper as he vetoes abortion ban A crowd cheered Gov. Roy Cooper as he vetoed a Republican-authored abortion ban in an unusual rally that capped off a week of attempts to pressure a small group of GOP legislators into letting the veto stand. Some bills are signed […]
Photo gallery: Veto rally draws big crowds as NC’s governor vows to fight Republican-backed abortion restrictions
Thousands gathered on Raleigh’s Bicentennial Mall Saturday cheering as Gov. Roy Cooper made good on his promise to veto Senate Bill 20, the restrictive abortion ban rushed through the Republican-controlled legislature with little public input and zero amendments. The governor will need at least one Republican to rethink their position in order to sustain his […]