State government

a photo of the L. Richardson Preyer Federal Courthouse

Federal judge blocks two provisions in NC’s new abortion law

BY: - September 30, 2023

A federal judge blocked provisions of the state’s new abortion law dealing with abortion pills and procedures in clinics. US District Court Judge Catherine Eagles, in an order issued Saturday, said that provisions preventing doctors from prescribing abortion pills in the early weeks of pregnancy and requiring abortions after 12 weeks be performed in hospitals […]

The word "VETO" and the signature of Roy Cooper

NC Gov. Cooper vetoes bill giving legislators all appointments to state and local elections boards.

BY: - September 28, 2023

Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a bill that restructures state and local elections boards to give legislators more power.  In a statement, Cooper said Senate Bill 479 could lead to gridlock and the risk that Republicans or courts could change election results they don’t like. The bill strips governors of all appointments to the state Board […]

Five standout speeches from North Carolina’s final public hearing on redistricting

BY: - September 28, 2023

It might be easy to think the average person doesn’t know or doesn’t really care what legislative district they live in. But North Carolinians both young and old proved that was not the case Wednesday as they patiently waited their turn to speak up for democracy and reject efforts to further gerrymander the state’s voting […]

Legislators are preparing to approve new congressional, state House, and state Senate districts for the 2024 elections. (Photo: NCGA videostream)

NC voters demand an end to gerrymandering at hearing on new election districts

BY: - September 28, 2023

Voters told legislators Wednesday they are sick of gerrymandering because deeply partisan election districts erode democracy and make lawmakers unresponsive to residents’ needs and opinions.  Legislators are preparing to approve new congressional, state House, and state Senate districts for the 2024 elections.   District boundaries have a major influence in which party’s candidates win elections because […]

a map of North Carolina that highlights counties which are legal deserts

Eight new public defender districts funded in the budget — but legal deserts remain

BY: - September 28, 2023

In May, the head of the North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services told members of the Governor’s Crime Commission that almost half of the state’s 100 counties are “legal deserts,” meaning there was less than one lawyer for every 1,000 residents. But the state budget could help with that, Mary Pollard told officials. At […]

a doctor consults with a mother and daughter in an examination room

Out of legislators’ sight, North Carolinians watched and waited for Medicaid expansion

BY: - September 27, 2023

Evita Bass, director of a childcare center in Hillsborough, lives with constant pain from three wisdom teeth that need to be pulled and back pain from scoliosis.  Bass, 31, has not had health insurance since she was 26 and on her mother’s insurance. She has always made too much to qualify for Medicaid and too […]

an aerial photo of a giant hog farm with eight long metal barns and two waste lagoons that appear to be purple

Ratified and en route to the governor, House Bill 600 defangs state environmental law

BY: - September 25, 2023

It began as benign, but over the summer House Bill 600, the Regulatory Reform Act, transmogrified into a Medusa of environmental rollbacks and favors to pipeline companies, the hog and poultry industries and other special interests. When the bill was filed in April, it contained an anodyne section requiring publicly funded animal shelters to keep […]

NC General Assembly (Photo: Clayton Henkel)

Weekend reads: What to know about NC’s new $30 billion budget

BY: - September 24, 2023

Gov. Cooper will let state budget bill become law without his signature By Lynn Bonner Gov. Roy Cooper said he will allow the state’s new $30 billion budget to become law without his signature. He made the announcement Friday morning, shortly after the Senate gave the plan its final approval. Pursuant to the state constitution, […]

Gov. Roy Cooper speaks at a podium

Gov. Cooper will let state budget bill become law without his signature

BY: - September 22, 2023

Gov. Roy Cooper said he will allow the state’s new $30 billion budget to become law without his signature.  He made the announcement Friday morning, shortly after the Senate gave the plan its final approval. Pursuant to the state constitution, the bill will become law if the governor chooses not to sign or veto it […]

two firefighters spray foam from a large hose

State budget includes money for PFAS, higher fees for electric cars, DEQ bonuses for speed

BY: - September 22, 2023

More than $55 million is included in the state budget to address PFAS contamination in drinking water, but given the vast scope of the problem in North Carolina, the money won’t go that far. The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority in Wilmington would receive $35 million: Roughly half is allocated for public water extensions to private […]

members sit in their seats on the floor of the North Carolina Senate

$30 billion NC budget giving Republicans new powers nears final legislative approval

BY: - September 22, 2023

Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly used the state budget to give themselves more power while at the same time shielding legislators’ records from the public.  Provisions in the budget exempt legislators from the state public records law, letting them withhold their documents from public view. Senate Republicans claimed that the budget codifies current practice.  […]

This is a photo of a a plastic tray and cup caught in some branches in a Durham stream.

Keep North Carolina filthy: Proposed budget could limit cities, counties from enforcing litter laws

BY: - September 21, 2023

This story has been updated with comments from Scott Mooneyham, spokesperson for the NC League of Municipalities, who could not be reached by deadline. Nearly 11.6 million pounds of litter was culled from North Carolina highways in 2022, according to transportation department figures, and that number doesn’t include the bags, bottles, dirty diapers, cigarette butts […]