DTH Photo Illustration. Gov. Roy Cooper's new behavioral health plan highlights what a pressing issue declining mental health has become in North Carolina.

Cooper releases $1 billion behavioral health plan, requires legislature approval

By Arwen Helms | Mar. 21

Gov. Roy Cooper’s new behavioral health plan, released on March 8, aims to invest $1 billion to address North Carolina’s mental health and substance use crisis, according to a press release. The plan focuses on increasing the availability of behavioral health services, implementing systems to support people in crisis and using technology to enable better health access and outcomes.

The North Carolina General Assembly building is pictured in Raleigh, N.C. on Jan. 13, 2013.

North Carolina Senate Bill 196 to ensure fair treatment for those with student loans

By Ella Aluise | Mar. 19

DTH Photo Illustration. A UNC student smokes CBD on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. CBD products, which are currently legal in North Carolina, are made from marijuana but lack the psychoactive effects of THC.

Bill to legalize marijuana for chronic illness care passes in NC Senate

By Bridget Bendezu | Mar. 9

An ambulance arrives at UNC Hospitals on Monday, March 6, 2023. Medicaid expansions will benefit patients at UNC Hospitals and other medical facilities around the North Carolina.

Republican legislative leaders agree on Medicaid expansion, bill now in Senate

By Caroline Dickey | Mar. 8

DTH Photo Illustration. A vendor sells two alcoholic beverages to a customer during a UNC football game at Kenan Stadium on Sept. 18, 2021.

NC House members introduce bipartisan bill to legalize happy hour in the state

By Lauren Zola | Feb. 28

DTH Photo Illustration. State senators occasionally file blank bills during legislative sessions in order to work around local bill filing deadlines.

Blank bills: what you need to know about NC's bill-filing work-around

By Sam Kornylak | Feb. 27

DTH Photo Illustration. The new bill involves paid time off for parental state employees.

N.C. House Democrats introduce bill to give state employees paid parental leave

By Ella Aluise | Feb. 23

On Feb. 16, N.C. House Democrats introduced House Bill 141 that would provide paid parental leave for state employees. If passed, the bill would provide up to eight weeks of paid parental leave for full-time state employees and up to four weeks for part-time state employees, in addition to any paid leave already available.

DTH Photo Illustration. NC Medicaid Direct Care workers will be receiving bonuses for their work during the pandemic.

N.C. House passes bipartisan Medicaid expansion, bill heads to Senate

By Lauren Zola | Feb. 22

On Feb. 16, House Bill 76 passed the N.C. House with large bipartisan support. If it passes the state Senate, adult North Carolinians living below or close to the poverty line could gain access to insurance through Medicaid.

A digital sign is picture on N.C. Central University's campus showing its rank as 11th best HBCU according to US News and World Report's 2020 rankings is pictured in Durham on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019.

'Gems of the state': NC legislators form HBCU caucus, the first of its kind

By Ginny Dempster | Feb. 21

North Carolina state legislators have announced a bipartisan historically Black universities and colleges caucus, focusing on meeting the needs of historically Black higher education, making it the first state-level caucus of its kind in the country.

Supporters of abortion rights gather in Raleigh to protest the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022.

N.C. House passes bill to increase punishments for rioters, could overturn veto

By Lauren Zola | Feb. 16

On Feb. 8, the state House of Representatives passed House Bill 40, which increases the punishments for rioting or harming first responders and property during a protest. H.B. 40, the Prevent Rioting and Civil Disorder bill, would punish those who participate in a riot while showing a weapon or using a dangerous substance with a Class H felony, which has a maximum sentence of 39 months in prison.

Students leave East Chapel Hill High School on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022.

Education Omnibus passes state House, would change NCCAT governance structure

By Rushi Kulkarni | Feb. 16

On Feb. 8, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed House Bill 26, the Education Omnibus, in a 75-42 vote. The bill includes changes to the governance of a teaching advancement organization and award a contract to an education company without a bidding process.

A sign indicating where to submit ballots at First Baptist Church in Chapel Hill on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

N.C. Republicans introduce bill to restrict mail-in voting return dates

By Ginny Dempster | Feb. 15

Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly filed Senate Bill 88 on Feb. 9, proposing amendments that would restrict deadlines for mail-in ballots. Currently, all mail-in ballots may be received by the county board of elections no later than 5 p.m., three days after Election Day, stipulating that the ballot must be postmarked by Election Day. S.B. 88 would require all mail-in ballots must be received by the board of elections no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

North Carolina General Assembly building in Raleigh on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020.

'I'm just a bill': The basics of how NC legislative bills become law

By Sam Kornylak | Feb. 15

As the North Carolina General Assembly's legislative session continues and begins voting, The Daily Tar Heel has created a guide for how laws are proposed and passed in the North Carolina state legislature.

Voters fill out their ballots at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church polling location on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

House Bill 44, which aims to repeal N.C. literacy test, introduced to N.C. House

By Sierra President | Feb. 15

On Feb. 2, House Bill 44, was introduced into the North Carolina General Assembly, to repeal the literacy test from the North Carolina Constitution. Section 4 of Article VI requires state voters to be able to read and write any part of the state constitution in English, although this is not currently enforced after the passage of federal civil rights legislation.

DTH Photo Illustration. The N.C. Supreme Court took steps towards rehearing two recently decided cases on partisan gerrymandering and voting rights.

NC Supreme Court to rehear two recently decided voting cases after majority flips

By Ethan E. Horton | Feb. 14

The new 5-2 Republican majority on the N.C. Supreme Court took a rare step toward rehearing two recently decided cases on partisan gerrymandering and voting rights on Feb. 3, suggesting it is open to overturning them altogether.

The North Carolina General Assembly building in Raleigh, N.C.

NC Republicans introduce house bill to restrict gender-affirming hormone treatment

By Zoe Werner | Feb. 10

On Feb. 6, House Bill 43 was introduced to the N.C. General Assembly, proposing the prohibition of sterilization surgeries, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors. If passed, H.B. 43 will make it unlawful for a minor to receive hormone treatments that are not consistent with the minor’s sex assigned at birth.

The North Carolina General Assembly is located in Downtown Raleigh and houses the state Senate and House of Representatives.

N.C. Senate passes Parents' Bill of Rights, could impact LGTBQ+ students

By Bridget Bendezu | Feb. 8

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the North Carolina Senate passed Senate Bill 49, the Parents' Bill of Rights in a 29-18 vote. The bill must now be heard on the state House's floor. The contentious bill outlines a set of rights parents should have over their children in public schools. These provisions include LGBTQ+ topics and require public schools to make policies to promote parent involvement in their child’s education, such as notifying a student’s parents prior to any changes to a student's name or pronouns used in school.

The Legislative Building located in Raleigh houses North Carolina's General Assembly.

N.C. General Assembly continues their long session after swearing in new members

By Avery Baker | Jan. 29

The North Carolina General Assembly continued their long session on Wednesday – their first legislative session after new members were sworn in on Jan. 11. A total of 26 bills were filed in the N.C. House of Representatives on Wednesday and Thursday. Between Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 34 bills were filed in the Senate.

School buses await students at East Chapel Hill High School on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022.

Orange County awarded grant to advance technical education in middle schools

By Audrey Kashatus | Jan. 29

Orange County Schools received $32,265 for modernization in career and technical (CTE) education programs in its middle schools.

UNC students stand in line outside the voting area located in the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History during election day on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

N.C. General Assembly passes criminal justice bills, approves new budget in 2022

By Harrison Gummel | Nov. 30

The North Carolina General Assembly has nearly completed its 2021-2022 session, during which 267 bills became law. Focal points of the recent session include the 2022 Appropriations Act, which provided increased funding for broadband expansion and education; bipartisan criminal justice reform; and new electoral maps, which state courts later struck down.

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