North Carolina is no longer trying 16-year-olds as adults. Here's what that means.
North Carolina is officially the last state to adopt the Raise the Age law, but what does the law entail?
N.C. GENERAL ASSEMBLY
N.C. General Assembly adjourns without new budget for 2020
During this past long session, the General Assembly was unable to pass a budget. “Our 2019 session actually ran over into 2020,” Insko (D-District 56) said. “We didn’t pass the budget. We didn’t pass Medicaid expansion. We didn’t cut taxes.”
McKissick passes the torch to Michaux in the N.C. Senate
Following the resignation of Sen. Floyd McKissick Jr., D-Durham, Henry "Mickey" Michaux was formally appointed as the senator of District 20.
Post HB2, North Carolina may have its first transgender legislators
North Carolina has never had an openly transgender individual serve in the state legislature. In 2020, that could change. Two openly transgender candidates are seeking seats in the N.C. Senate four years after the state passed House Bill 2, which could bring new perspectives and progressive change to the state. “There’s a lot of voices not being heard in North Carolina,” Angela Bridgman of Wendell said. “Democracy is broken in North Carolina.”
Confederate group in Silent Sam deal accused of violating tax and campaign finance laws
The North Carolina Division Sons of Confederate Veterans Inc. has for years been violating federal tax laws, operating a political action committee in violation of its tax-exempt status and facilitating political donations through illegal means, according to numerous individual first-hand accounts, a slew of internal communications provided to The Daily Tar Heel and multiple expert legal opinions. The Confederate group, classified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in North Carolina, brought in $2.6 million of UNC System money last November through controversial dealings with Board of Governors members.
How partisanship has changed North Carolina's budget process in the last decade
In the past decade, tax cuts and education have been the main issues affecting budget proposals for the state.
How the Republican takeover of the General Assembly changed the UNC System
The General Assembly turned majority-Republican in 2010, and with it the Board of Governors experienced a significant turnover in membership.
'Victory': Confederates tout backdoor dealings of $2.5 million Silent Sam settlement
In an email recently leaked by one of its recipients, Kevin Stone, leader of the N.C. Division Sons of Confederate Veterans Inc., detailed secret negotiations with UNC Board of Governors members that led to a "major strategic victory" for the pro-Confederate movement. Stone sent the email on the same day that the group filed and immediately settled a lawsuit against the UNC system and the board. That settlement won the Confederate group legal ownership of Silent Sam and $2.5 million in UNC system money, some of which may go towards a new headquarters for the group.
Wake County court suspends candidate filing period to consider new congressional map
The Superior Court of Wake County issued an injunction to halt the candidate filing period for 2020 N.C. congressional primary races so that the court can consider new congressional maps drawn and passed by the General Assembly.
'I can’t afford to be a teacher': The battle for teacher raises continues
After years of what they deem as unreasonable salaries, teachers are starting to speak out, especially after Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a bill to raise average salaries for educators in North Carolina.
North Carolina becomes last state in the U.S. to allow withdrawal of consent
Newly ratified Bill 199 adds measures to protect sexual assault victims.
Lawsuit calls the legitimacy of the N.C. General Assembly into question
A lawsuit from the NAACP and Clean Air Carolina continues to challenge the authority North Carolina lawmakers had in creating ballot amendments in 2018.
Sen. Tillis, N.C. congressmen are key figures in reviving an ICE immigration bill
This bill comes just months after Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a bill that would have forced local sheriffs to comply with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in holding individuals for whom the organization had issued a detainer.
'It’s time for fair maps in North Carolina': Discussion continues on state district lines
The state court agreed with the plaintiffs and declared the redrawn maps unconstitutional on Sept. 3, and ordered them redrawn again by Sept. 19.
Column: Addressing campus sexual assault
Graig Meyer, the state representative for House District 50 covering portions of Orange and Durham counties, discusses campus sexual assault.
We looked into rumors that N.C. Speaker Tim Moore is going for UNC-System President
After interim UNC-System President Bill Roper said he will not seek to serve in his role in a permanent capacity, the search for a new system president became even more uncertain. Though the names of candidates have not been released, one controversial public figure has been the topic of recent rumors: Tim Moore. Moore, the speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives, has made his name by supporting fiscal prudence and controversial moves such as HB2. Some say Moore would be a poor leader for the UNC System given his history in the General Assembly, while others argue that he could be a viable candidate.
Despite little movement on state budget, stand alone spending measures move to Cooper
The majority of recent bills that the General Assembly has passed are above the continuation budget from the last fiscal year. Gov. Cooper has signed all but one of the mini-budget bills that were copied from the budget he vetoed in June.
New state legislative maps head to N.C. superior court for approval
New legislative maps have passed in the N.C. Senate and N.C. House and now require approval from the three-judge panel in the Common Cause case to be finalized.
Precinct changes may simplify voting for students but raises concerns from rural voters
Students living on campus at UNC are split among four election precincts, complicating the voting process for thousands. Proposed changes to Orange County’s election precincts aim to direct students to a single voting location for the upcoming primary and general elections.
The General Assembly, Cooper haven't budged on N.C.'s budget
With the last fiscal year having come to a close in June, changes were expected to be made to the state budget, especially where Medicaid, teacher pay and corporate tax cuts were concerned. But, Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the Republican budget proposal just three days before. A consensus needs to be made, but discussion is slowed with differing ideas about what to do with an $800 million revenue surplus. Republican senators have expressed their displeasure over Cooper’s “Medicare expansion ultimatum,” and are blaming Cooper for the breakdown in negotiations. Because this is on the state level, a government shutdown isn't imminent, but that doesn't mean the pressure is off. Without a budget, there cannot be any proper funding for crucial state departments that feed into and serve North Carolina communities and provide vital wage raises, public school funding and more.
