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Reorganization push would allow NC’s largest health insurance provider to avoid regulation
Bill introduced at the behest of Blue Cross Blue Shield will be heard in a state House committee Tuesday The state’s largest health insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, wants the legislature to allow it to reorganize its business structure so that it can sidestep a 25-year-old law requiring it to compensate the state for decades of tax breaks.
NC Gov. Cooper vetoes pistol permit repeal bill
Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a bill that would allow people to purchase pistols without receiving permits from county sheriffs. Cooper vetoed a version of the bill in 2021, but there’s a greater likelihood his veto will be overridden this year. Supporters of Senate bill 41 contend required federal background checks make the sheriffs’ checks are redundant. […]
Facing a legacy of discrimination, Black farmers tell NC legislators what their businesses need to thrive
Black farmers from throughout the state were in Raleigh on Wednesday to tell legislators they are shut out or left behind when government agencies distribute agricultural loans. Black farmers who spoke at a news conference said they needed access to capital and the lifting of administrative constraints that hinder their operations. For decades, the US […]
North Carolina’s existing abortion restrictions harm patients, doctors say
As Republicans in the state legislature contemplate more abortion restrictions, doctors who treat pregnant patients highlighted the existing legal barriers that present obstacles to good medical care. Among the state’s restrictions are a 20-week abortion ban, a 72-hour waiting period, a prohibition on telehealth appointments for abortion pill prescriptions, a requirement that patients take the […]
Should the US Supreme Court dismiss the elections law case from North Carolina? The parties have their say.
Lawyers for NC Republican legislators, voting rights groups, and the U.S Department of Justice told the US Supreme Court whether they think the justices should still decide a case watched nationwide for its potential impact on election laws, even though the issues are still being argued in a North Carolina court. The US Supreme Court […]
NC House bill would ban COVID-19 vaccination requirements for public employees and students
A public health strategy meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19 would be outlawed under a bill the state House is considering. State and local governments, public schools, the community college system, and the UNC system would not be allowed to require workers, job applicants, or students to show proof that they were vaccinated for […]
Critics of NC GOP tax policy want to stop corporate income tax cuts
Eliminating the state’s corporate income tax means more money for out-of-state corporations and less to support the needs of North Carolinians, critics said Monday. They discussed bills that would freeze the corporate income tax at 2.5% rather than have it fall to zero in 2030. North Carolina’s corporate income tax rate was 6.9% from 2011 […]
Gov. Cooper will allow two bills similar to those he previously vetoed to become law without his signature
Gov. Roy Cooper said Friday he is allowing bills on hotel tenants and rioting penalties to become law without his signature. Senate bill 53 says that people who live in inns, motels, campgrounds, or other lodgings do not have legal rights afforded tenants if they live in those places for fewer than 90 consecutive days. […]
NC maternal death rate exceeds national rate
North Carolina’s maternal mortality rate is rising much faster than the national rate reported by the CDC on Thursday. The US maternal mortality rate in 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the CDC, up from 23.8 per 100,000 in 2020, and 20.1 per 100,000 in 2019. North Carolina’s maternal mortality rate doubled […]
NC Gov. Cooper presents budget proposal with 18% average raises for teachers
Gov. Roy Cooper released his proposed $32.9 billion state budget that includes hefty raises for teachers that he said would raise average teacher salaries to No.1 in the Southeast. Teachers and principals would see average salary increases of 18% over two years under the plan Cooper presented Wednesday. His budget also restores master’s pay for […]
State Supreme Court revisits redistricting rulings it issued in just months ago
A Democratic court majority struck down maps as unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders, but a new GOP majority has been asked to do an about-face. State Republican legislators Tuesday brought their argument that courts cannot bar partisan redistricting to a friendlier state Supreme Court than the one that ruled against them last year.
NC Supreme Court to rehear elections cases this week
The state Supreme Court this week is going to take the rare step to re-hear two recently decided elections cases – one on redistricting and the other on voter photo identification. The redistricting case will be heard on Tuesday and the voter ID case on Wednesday. These cases were decided in December, when Democrats held […]