State government

The House budgeted for Voter ID. The Senate did not.

BY: - May 17, 2023

In its budget proposal unveiled last month, North Carolina’s House of Representatives budgeted $3.5 million for the State Board of Elections to implement voter ID requirements — before the state Supreme Court even ruled on whether it was constitutional. The Senate released its budget proposal this week. Unlike their House colleagues, however, it did not […]

abortion protesters at the NC legislature

NC legislature overrides governor’s veto of abortion ban to make new restrictions law

BY: - May 16, 2023

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 in both the House and Senate. The GOP has veto-proof majorities in both chambers. Cooper dramatically vetoed Senate Bill 20 […]

GOP senators decline to explain reason for controversial budget provision

BY: - May 16, 2023

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 […]

Republican senators

NC Senate proposed budget has smaller employee raises, would have legislators appoint some judges

BY: - May 15, 2023

The $29.7 billion proposed state budget Senate Republican leaders released Monday afternoon has smaller raises for teachers and state employees than the House wanted.  The Senate budget proposes average teacher raises of 4.5% over two years, and 5% raises for state employees over two years. Beginning teacher salaries would go from $37,000 to $39,000 starting […]

Monday numbers: Report says NC youth aging out of foster care need more services

BY: - May 15, 2023

Youth aging out of foster care aren’t receiving all the support available to them as they transition to adulthood, according to a report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.  Using information from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services databases, the report (Fostering Youth Transitions 2023) examines the reasons children entered foster care and the […]

Rep. Ashton Wheeler Clemmons discusses the rushed process for SB20 and the impact on young girls

BY: - May 15, 2023

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

BY: - May 14, 2023

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

BY: - May 13, 2023

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 […]

Gov. Roy Cooper

Crowd cheers Gov. Roy Cooper as he vetoes abortion ban

BY: - May 13, 2023

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 in public ceremonies, but bill vetoes don’t usually draw enthusiastic audiences. For Senate Bill […]

a patient is pictured receiving bad news from a health care provider

Black state senators: An abortion ban will worsen Black maternal mortality rates in NC

BY: - May 11, 2023

Black women face high rates of pregnancy-related death and will likely feel the brunt of an abortion ban in North Carolina.  Yet, none of the Black women elected to the state legislature, all of whom are Democrats, had any input into the Republican-authored bill banning most abortions after 12 weeks. “We were not invited to […]

Mark Walker portrait

Former Congressman Mark Walker to seek GOP nomination for governor

BY: - May 9, 2023

Former Congressman Mark Walker will join the race for the GOP nomination for governor later this month, according to sources close to the campaign. Walker telegraphed his intentions publicly for the first time Tuesday after months of teasing a possible run, with a statement from Tim Murtaugh, vice president of  communication for National Public Affairs, […]

At the NC Senate, even gun limits favored in Fox News poll fail to gain traction

BY: - May 8, 2023

When Senator Danny Britt (R-Robeson) rose to explain Senate Bill 650 last Monday night on the Senate floor in hopes of securing the bill’s approval, Senator Natasha Marcus (D-Mecklenburg) was quick to offer a bit of tongue-in-cheek praise. “The ‘Gun Violence Prevention Act,’ I love the title, Senator Britt,” said Marcus. “I love it so […]