Jonah Garson, the chairperson for the Orange County Democratic Party, is stepping aside from his post to run for the N.C. House. He will seek to take the seat currently occupied by Rep. Verla Insko, who announced she will not be running for reelection in 2022 after 13 terms serving Orange County in the 56th N.C. House District.
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SB 824, which required people in North Carolina to present a photo ID while voting, was recently struck down because it unconstitutionally targeted Black voters. The law and the recent decision are part of a lively nationwide debate on voter ID laws.
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She said she's most proud of the work she's done to expand public education, especially early childhood education. Public education was the reason she ran for public office in the first place.
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House Bill 890 allows online orders at ABC stores and the purchase of a second alcoholic beverage at college sporting events. It also makes revisions to winery and distillery laws, allows ABC stores to sell refrigerated beverages and no longer requires the town of Cary to issue its own liquor licenses. The bill also establishes the North Carolina Spirituous Liquor Advisory Council. The council will be in charge of helping grow and develop the liquor industry in the state.
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More than 55,000 North Carolina residents were granted the right to vote. Until they weren’t. On Sept. 3, 11 days after the Wake County Superior Court ruled to restore voting rights to North Carolina residents on felony probation or parole, the N.C. Court of Appeals overturned that decision, and the N.C. Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeals decision Friday.
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Senate Bill 300 covers a slew of provisions that aim to standardize law enforcement processes, increase officer accountability and establish a new line of trust between the public and police.
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Before the bill's signing, children ages 14 or 15 could marry adults through a "pregnancy exception." This left a loophole that could be used to avoid North Carolina's statutory rape laws.
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Direct effects of having a felony include prison, fines and loss of access to some services. Beyond this, employers, apartments and schools running background checks can make it difficult for those convicted of a felony to find employment or housing.
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Two committees — one from each chamber of the General Assembly — handle redistricting in North Carolina. Redistricting is typically done every 10 years after the results of the decennial census are released. The U.S. Census Bureau released population data from the 2020 census on Aug. 12.
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"When we come to a vastly more progressive, urban place to attend college, it can be easy to disregard the social and economic issues we left behind. But, we should still care."
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Critical race theory has become a topic of contention nationwide, a trend that has reached the North Carolina legislature. In March, N.C. Republicans introduced House Bill 324, which would control teachings about race and history in public schools. The bill now awaits a vote in the Senate.
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Two bills, House Bills 436 and 536, addressing criminal justice reform are sitting in a North Carolina Senate committee after being unanimously passed by the N.C. House in early May. Rep. Ricky Hurtado (D-Alamance) said this bill would prevent situations like the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police last May from ever being possible.
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This is part of a series that looks at bills the North Carolina General Assembly has introduced, the progress they have made in the chamber and what impact they might have on the state moving forward.
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House Bill 32, titled the “Equity in Opportunity Act,” passed in the N.C. House of Representatives last month. It's part of an ongoing national debate about school choice, a controversial education policy issue.
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This is part of a series that looks at bills the North Carolina General Assembly has introduced, the progress they have made in the chamber and what their impact might be on the state moving forward.
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The trial, which began April 12, raises questions about a 2018 bill that requires photo ID for voting. Plaintiffs and opponents say the bill intentionally discriminates against Black voters.
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This is part of a series that looks at bills the North Carolina state legislature has introduced, the progress they have made in the chamber and what their impact might be on the state moving forward.
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In the past month, the N.C. General Assembly has introduced three bills seeking to discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals, especially those who are transgender and gender-nonconforming, in sports, health care and gender-affirming care. Though new to the North Carolina legislature, many of these bills draw parallels, or even originate directly from, bills passed in other states. A major concern among activists is that many of these bills, both in North Carolina and across the country, seem to increasingly target transgender youth.
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Affordable housing is critical to achieving social equity and economic security for everyone. Chapel Hill needs to recognize just how critical it is as North Carolina grows.
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State legislators appointed five new members to the UNC Board of Governors last month. The new BOG members all said they are honored to serve and hope to positively contribute to the UNC System. They said in particular they hope to focus on affordability, access and improving student outcomes.
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