A second stimulus check was approved on Sunday as part of a $900 billion dollar bill. The $600 one-time payment will be sent to those eligible based on their 2019 reported income. The amount of the one-time payment depends on the income of the household. President Trump disagreed with the amount of the one-time payment, and instead recommended the amount of $2000 as a direct payment to eligible individuals. On Monday, the House of Representatives passed a measure to increase the stimulus checks to $2000. On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader McConnell blocked a bid to unanimously pass the $2000 stimulus check without a vote, and then also blocked allowing a vote to be brought to the floor on Wednesday though he did say the $2000 stimulus check was his focus.
The State Highway Patrol proudly welcomed 50 new troopers at a graduation ceremony held for the 152nd Fast-Track Basic Highway Patrol School. The ceremony commemorates a historical first for the fast-track program as the cadets spent nine consecutive weeks at the training academy without visiting home. This training schedule was designed to ensure maximum protection for the cadets from outside exposure to COVID-19.
Governor Roy Cooper shared the following comment following the passing of former Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight, "North Carolina lost a giant today with the passing of my friend, Senator Marc Basnight. His positive influence on our public universities, transportation, environment and more will be felt for decades.”
When Democrats attack pro-growth tax reform as “trickle-down economics,” I can understand their rhetorical intent. But the charge is silly on multiple levels — including the fact that every Democrat who ever serves in state or local office spends great time and effort to try to recruit business executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and high-value professionals to their communities.
Bar owners from six counties across North Carolina are going to court to challenge the governor’s executive orders shutting down their businesses. Their lawsuit seeks to have a key piece of the state Emergency Management Act declared unconstitutional.
May I tell you a bit about the pioneering Campbells of eastern North Carolina? The patriarch of the family, minister James Archibald Campbell, founded a school in Buies Creek in 1887 that we now know as Campbell University. In the early days, privation and bad luck sometimes forced “Jim Arch” to keep institution alive through sheer force of will.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recently received approval to use federal matching funds to expand services for the evidence-based early childhood program, Reach Out and Read. Research shows that children who Reach Out and Read have improved literacy and language comprehension, and clinics have improved patient-clinician relationships and well-child visit attendance. This partnership with Reach Out and Read is one of the first in the country among Medicaid programs.
Among the pagan-inspired customs of the Christmas season, there has come to be the ritualistic burning of the straw man. Specifically, I refer to the traditional seasonal column by a sly journalist or political analyst asserting that the exchange of Christmas gifts is a major lose-lose for the economy.
In June, Gov. Roy Cooper established the Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice. I was honored when he asked Associate Justice Anita Earls and me to lead its work. Our charge was substantial: to identify ways to bring about meaningful change in the criminal justice system so that every North Carolinian is safe.
Intercontinental Capital Group Inc, a direct mortgage lender specializing in single-family residential properties, will significantly expand its Charlotte operations, adding 500 jobs over the coming five years, Governor Roy Cooper announced this week. The company’s plans in Mecklenburg County include a capital investment of $5,844,450.
Owners of a popular Greenville bar claim Gov. Roy Cooper’s COVID-19 shutdown orders violate their constitutional rights. They’re taking the governor to court with help from a national group.
Last year, troopers responded to 2,970 collisions between the dates of Dec. 24 through Jan. 2. Among those collisions, 745 were injury related and 27 resulted in a fatality. This year, the SHP hopes to decrease the number of collisions during the same time frame by focusing on violations such as excessive speeding, reckless driving, following too close and impaired driving.
