Supreme Court backs student free speech, rejects Stein’s argument
An 8-1 free-speech ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court out last week rejected arguments N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein offered in a friend-of-the-court brief.
Donna King
U.S. Supreme Court backs donor privacy
The U.S. Supreme Court backed donor privacy in a decision released Thursday, July 1. The closely watched ruling was based on a case from California in which the state's then-Attorney General Kamala Harris tried to require nonprofit organizations to disclose the identities of donors by requiring them to file an unredacted “Schedule B” with their taxes, which would reveal the identities of anyone giving $5,000 or more in money or goods.
State eviction moratorium to expire this week
The state moratorium on evictions expires June 30, 2021, after being extended twice during the COVID-19 pandemic. First enacted by an executive order from Gov. Roy Cooper in October 2020, and twice extended by a vote of the Council of State, the government order prevented property owners from enforcing eviction due to nonpayment of rent.
Cooper vetoes bill banning abortions based on race, Down syndrome
Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed a bill to ban abortions based on an unborn child's race or the presence of Down syndrome. It's his second veto in a week and third overall this year.
Robinson, Berger raise concerns about Critical Race Theory in N.C. schools
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and Senate leader Phil Berger are highlighting concerns about the role of Critical Race Theory in another large N.C. public school system.
Senate gives bipartisan 32-18 approval to state budget plan
The N.C. Senate voted Thursday to pass the body’s state budget plan by a vote of 32-18, with four Democrats joining all Republicans in supporting the plan. Sens. Ben Clark, D-Cumberland, Kirk DeViere, D-Cumberland, Paul Lowe, D-Forsyth, and Don Davis, D-Greene, supported the Senate budget.
Cooper welcomes Centene as company settles Medicaid lawsuits
N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper was in Charlotte Monday to welcome the Centene Corporation, a provider of managed care services for Medicaid, public, and private health plans. It claims to be the largest provider of Medicaid services in the nation. The company announced last year that it selected Charlotte for its East Coast regional headquarters after North Carolina offered $338 million in tax incentives through a “transformative” Job Development and Investment Grant.
Senate votes to ban abortions based on race, gender, or Down Syndrome
Jaden Ng, 13, and her family sat in the gallery on Thursday morning to watch the N.C. Senate vote to ban abortions sought based on the likelihood of Down syndrome, the condition Jaden has had her entire life.
House and Senate narrow budget differences, but gap remains
With one month to go before the end of the fiscal year, at the General Assembly lawmakers are hammering out how to budget more than $25 billion in the next state spending plan. Republican leaders in the House and Senate have already agreed to spend significantly less than budget priorities submitted by Gov. Roy Cooper in March.
Bill would provide rescue education grants for NC parents
This summer may not be filled with pools and part-time jobs for students across the state who’ve struggled with a year of mandated remote school. In March of 2021, the State Board of Education reported that in May of 2020, after two months of remote school, test scores were at their lowest point with 75% of North Carolina third-graders falling below the proficiency thresholds in reading.
Gas lines snake through North Carolina towns
If you’re seeing long lines at gas stations, you’re not alone. The Colonial Pipeline shut down this weekend, saying it was hit with a ransomware attack Friday, May 7. The pipeline supplies nearly half of the fuel for the eastern part of the country and may be largely down through the rest of the week.
Apple move to N.C. stirs debate about incentives
This week Apple Inc. announced North Carolina will be the new home to a billion-dollar campus working in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and software engineering. The move will create 3,000 jobs that pay an average of $187,000 annually.