N.C. General Assembly
State lawmaker: NC must resist the ongoing radical overhaul of its public schools
In the past, North Carolina has been a leader in the South and the nation on education because we knew that investing in education is the best way to ensure a strong economy supporting working families. Unfortunately, our public schools are under assault, and the current Republican majority at the General Assembly is considering extreme […]
Monopoly men: GOP legislative leaders continue to extend their power in all directions
Is there any aspect of life in modern North Carolina for which the Republican majority of the General Assembly doesn’t see itself as the font of all wisdom and rightful final arbiter? That’s not a facetious question. GOP pols and their pals on the religious right and in the business and gun lobbies love to […]
Is this really the North Carolina we want?
There are few days that go by that I don’t have a moment of appreciation for the beauty around us in North Carolina. The trees, the hiking trails, the flowers… It’s quite amazing. I seem to notice it even more lately, as Spring has taken its time. As I had another of these moments recently, […]
After switch, they’re set to party hearty
The forces in North Carolina’s General Assembly aligned with what typically are seen as progressive causes – including strong public schools, fair and adequate taxation, wide access to decent health care, racial justice, elections open to meaningful participation by all qualified voters – began the month of April with their hopes hanging by a thread. […]
State House oversteps boundaries with “big brother” reporting bill
The North Carolina General Assembly is an enormously important and powerful institution. Its 170 members are elected to represent and act on behalf of the state’s 10 million-plus residents in numerous ways – enacting and enforcing the state’s civil and criminal laws, raising and appropriating revenue, and appointing all manner of state and local public […]
Search for new community college system leader proceeds as GOP lawmakers look to take control
Democrats blast legislative proposal as another higher ed power grab, but Republicans say they aim to address a leadership revolving door Next week the State Board of Community Colleges and N.C. Community Colleges Presidential Search Committee will hold two joint meetings. The meetings, April 11 and 12, will take place at 9:30 a.m. at […]
UNC System faculty, staff bristle as legislature targets Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts
When the General Assembly’s Joint Legislative Commission on Government Operations sent a recent detailed request to the UNC System seeking information about any Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) training programs employed by the system and its 17 campuses, Professor Jelani Favors wasn’t surprised.
Report: 1 in 4 prospective college students ruling out some states due to political climate
The impact of politics on colleges and universities across the country isn’t just making headlines. It’s also driving prospective colleges students away from certain states, a new study released Monday suggests. One in four high school seniors reported they ruled out certain campuses based on the politics, policies or unfolding legal situations in certain states, […]
General Assembly asking for info on DEI at UNC campuses as GOP targets diversity efforts
This week the N.C. General Assembly’s Joint Legislative Commission on Government Operations requested documents related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) training programs through the UNC System and all of its 17 campuses. The request, according to a Tuesday letter from Derrick Welch, director of Senate Majority Staff Government Operations, is part of the […]
The 2023 legislative session: Out of the starting gate — sideways
We weren’t expecting it to be pretty – “it” being the launch of the N.C. General Assembly’s new session, with freshly emboldened conservatives eager to flex their muscles. The reality, one month after things got under way, hasn’t failed to disappoint. Two themes stand out:
NC legislators find yet another vulnerable group to get tough on: homeless families
Homelessness. It takes many forms in modern North Carolina – some familiar, some less so. For several thousand families, it means double-bunking or “couch surfing” with friends or relatives for an extended period. For a tragic number, it means living in a vehicle or even camping out in tents, shanties, parking garages, and downtown doorways, under highway overpasses, or on park benches.
Democrats counter Republican-backed bill requiring schools to out transgender students to parents
State Democrats went on the offense Tuesday, countering controversial Senate Bill 49 (SB 49), a Republican-backed Parents Bill of Rights modeled after Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, with versions of their own. House Bill 58 and Senate Bill 74, titled “Parents’ and Students’ Bill of Rights” were filed on Monday. The bills, which are the […]