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A tentative Oct. 1 launch date for Medicaid expansion in NC depends on legislative action
North Carolina could launch Medicaid expansion on Oct.1 if the legislature acts by Sept. 1, the Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday. The state legislature approved Medicaid expansion in March, but tied it to passage of the state budget. The new state budget year started July 1, but Republican House and Senate budget […]
Republican from the extreme right wing joins race for NC House Speaker
Rep. Keith Kidwell announced on Facebook that he is running for NC House Speaker. Kidwell, a Beaufort County Republican, is serving his third term in the House. He is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus, a group that often takes positions more conservative than other Republican legislators. The position of House Speaker is one […]
NC lurches toward elections with voter photo ID
Pamela Pearson knows that getting a photo ID for some people isn’t as easy as heading to the DMV. Pearson is the North Carolina coordinator for VoteRiders, an organization with a mission to help eligible citizens get IDs they need to vote. Getting an ID can be tough if you can’t take time off to […]
NC Elections Board approves list of university and government IDs that can be used for voting
Student IDs from all UNC system universities meet state requirements that allow them to be used for voting, according to information the state Board of Elections released Monday. Most of the community colleges, private universities, charter schools, and local governments that asked the state elections board to approve their student and/or employee IDs for voting […]
NC House Democrats criticizes budget delay. Final plan may be weeks away.
Republican legislators’ failure to agree on a state budget is delaying Medicaid expansion, teacher and state employee raises, and state retiree cost-of-living increases. House Democrats criticized the lack of a new spending plan at a news conference Wednesday. The new budget year started on July 1, but negotiations between legislative Republicans may drag on for […]
Medicaid managed care plans for NC residents with disabilities delayed again
Updated 7/14 with response from Atrium Health The rollout of Medicaid managed care health plans for people with behavioral or developmental disabilities is delayed for a third time, the state Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday. The launch of what the state calls “tailored plans” has been pushed back since last year. Last […]
Ultrasound documentation requirement for abortion pills will remain on hold
The court-ordered freeze on a section of North Carolina’s new abortion law will remain in place to allow more time for more written arguments. The initial, 14-day freeze on the requirement that doctors prescribing abortion pills confirm that fertilized eggs had implanted in the uterus was set to expire this week. Most sections of the […]
Colleges, universities, governments ask to have their IDs approved for voting
All universities in the UNC system applied to have their student IDs approved for voting purposes in the lead-up to implementation of the state’s photo ID law this year. All but one of the state’s public universities asked the state Board of Elections to also approve use of their employee IDs for voting. Private colleges […]
NC abortion restrictions begin Saturday, with one requirement in the new law put on hold
A federal judge decided that North Carolina legislators’ bill resolving discrepancies and inconsistencies in the new law restricting abortion adequately addressed many of the problems abortion providers identified in a lawsuit this month. U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Eagles on Friday issued a 14-day freeze on the requirement for ultrasound evidence documenting the location of […]
Federal judge won’t stop NC’s 12-week abortion ban from starting July 1
U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Eagles was clear Wednesday that she would not put a freeze on the state’s recently enacted 12-week abortion ban, meaning that most of the restrictions will take effect July 1. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and a Duke University OB/GYN sued to stop the law from taking effect, at least temporarily. […]
NC Republicans lose US Supreme Court case on legislatures’ power over federal elections
Updated with comments. The US Supreme Court rejected North Carolina Republican legislators’ argument that the state courts cannot review laws legislatures pass governing federal elections. Republican legislators claimed the Elections Clause in the U.S. Constitution makes legislatures the sole state authorities on federal elections law, including congressional redistricting. Critics said the high court’s endorsement of […]
NC Senate votes to change the new abortion law while Republicans reject a dozen amendments from Democrats
The state Senate approved changes to a new law limiting abortions just days ahead of a federal court hearing in a lawsuit brought by abortion providers. The law banning most abortions after 12 weeks is set to go into effect on July 1. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and a Duke University OB-GYN are seeking a […]