State government
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. […]
States are learning on the fly about sports betting addiction
As North Carolina moves closer to legalizing sports gambling, cautionary tales -- especially for young men -- emerge in other states NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The states that have legalized sports betting are reporting record levels of wagering and revenues, but with that growth comes questions about gambling addiction and whether regulators and sportsbooks are doing enough to fight it.
’11 North Carolinians every day’: Senators move to increase punishments as fentanyl overdoses rise.
State Sen. Michael Lazzara has seen more than his share of families crushed by the scourge of fentanyl in his home district of Onslow County. “In 2021, we lost 11 North Carolinians each and every day from drug overdose,” Lazzara said Tuesday, urging his colleagues to fast-track stiffer penalties against dealers who traffic heroin or fentanyl. […]