Legislature
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 […]
Cooper stresses support for education in State of the State speech
Education as a key to expanding the state’s skilled workforce and maintaining its economic competitiveness was a central theme in Gov. Roy Cooper’s State of the State speech Monday night, a speech that included references to priorities in his next budget. He encouraged investment in the “education pipeline” that begins in early childhood. “A great […]
New rules, an erosion of transparency, and literacy skills on the rebound: The week’s top stories on Policy Watch
In this issue: 1. New NC House rules would ‘hold people hostage’ and erode transparency, Democratic leader says North Carolina’s legislative session opened Wednesday with a controversy in the state House over a proposed rule change that would allow Republicans to call snap votes to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes. The House rules adopted […]
NC Attorney General: The right to reproductive care is on the ballot
With reports that new abortion restrictions in other states are putting women’s health in danger, Attorney General Josh Stein called on North Carolina voters to elect legislators who will support reproductive rights. “Politicians are playing with women’s lives,” Stein said at a news conference Wednesday. “Decisions about reproductive care are deeply personal. They should be […]
NC bill seeks to protect doctors who prescribe off-label drugs for COVID. But docs don’t need the protection.
This post has been updated. A bill filed this week would prevent the state Medical Board from disciplining doctors who prescribe drugs off-label to treat COVID-19. It looks like doctors don’t need a legal shield, though. The NC Medical Board doesn’t discipline doctors for prescribing for off-label uses. House bill 1085, sponsored by Currituck County […]
NC Senate Republicans do a 180 on Medicaid expansion and offer their own proposal
Senate Republicans, some formerly fierce opponents of Medicaid expansion, introduced their own expansion bill Wednesday that would give more than 500,000 low-income adults the chance to obtain health insurance. The bill is packaged with other healthcare provisions that have legislative champions but have faced stiff opposition over the years, including allowing advanced practice registered nurses […]
Hot debate in NC health care on freeing advanced practice nurses from doctors’ supervision
The legislative committee considering Medicaid expansion and access to health care in North Carolina took up the contentious issue of allowing nurses with advanced degrees diagnose illnesses and prescribe medicine without doctor supervision. In a sometimes testy debate that lasted for more than three hours, doctors, nurses, and legislators went back and forth, referencing studies […]
Can NC legislators elected from unconstitutional districts propose changing the constitution?
The state Supreme Court heard arguments today over whether legislators elected from illegal districts could legitimately put constitutional amendments on the ballot. The state NAACP wants constitutional amendments requiring photo voter ID and capping state taxes invalidated. In 2018, federal courts determined that legislators had been elected from unconstitutional racially gerrymandered districts and required new […]
Moore: NC Republicans considering a US Supreme Court appeal in redistricting
House Speaker Tim Moore said in a radio interview Tuesday that the legislature will work on new redistricting maps as the state Supreme Court required, and that Republicans are also considering an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 4-3 order, the state Supreme Court struck down Republican legislators’ redistricting plans. A majority on […]
NC Republicans vote to push back primary date over Democrats’ objections
Republicans voted to delay the 2022 primaries until June 7, giving them more time to redraw new congressional and legislative districts if the state’s highest court decides their plans are unconstitutional. House bill 605 sped through the legislature in one day and is on its way to Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk. The bill establishes July […]
Candidate filing to open as planned Monday as judges deny requests for delay
A three-judge panel denied requests to delay candidate filing for congressional, state House and Senate districts scheduled to start Monday, questioning arguments that the redistricting plans are unconstitutional gerrymanders. Superior Court Judge A. Graham Shirley said a Supreme Court redistricting opinion from the early 2000s “makes it clear that partisan advantage can be taken into […]
Gov. Cooper plans to sign the state budget speeding to his desk
Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday he will sign the state budget into law even though it includes tax cuts for corporations that he does not want and provisions he believes are unconstitutional. After Cooper’s announcement that he would sign the budget, the Senate gave swift preliminary approval to the $25.9 billion plan in a 40-8 […]