On Wednesday morning, the Republican-led N.C. General Assembly overturned Governor Roy Cooper's veto for the first time since 2018 on a bill to remove the permit requirement for pistols.
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New data shows that North Carolina public schools reported an increase in student discipline issues during the 2021-22 school year. There were 11,170 total instances of crime and violence, an increase of 16.9 percent as compared to the 2018-19 school year.
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"A lot of difficult issues arise during the course of a child’s life. Instead of passing bills that might endanger kids and limit their options for support, our legislature should be providing resources to make sure that children have the help they need. That’s why I sponsored Senate Bill 74, a Students’ Bill of Rights which would assure that students have the freedom to learn."
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House Bill 293, the Freedom to Vote Act, proposes changes to election administration in the state and provisions to increase voter turnout. N.C. Rep. Allen Buansi (D-Orange) is the face and primary sponsor of the bill, which was supported by every Democrat in the N.C. House of Representatives.
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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.
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Duke Energy is developing a second carbon plan only two months after the release of the first, according to Duke Energy spokesperson Bill Norton. The company's original plan — the Carolinas Carbon Plan — detailed Duke Energy's planned methods for implementing North Carolina’s energy transition, which is mandated by House Bill 951.
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Introduced to the U.S. Senate in mid-February, the bill could give states the ability to exclude abortion providers from receiving state Medicaid funds unless an abortion is necessary due to rape, incest or a life-threatening situation.
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On Sunday, March 12, the League of Women Voters of Orange, Durham and Chatham Counties hosted a “changing of the guard” event between retired U.S. Rep. David Price and newly-elected U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-N.C. 4th) at the Chapel Hill Public Library.
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The North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force released its annual report, highlighting the common causes of death in children ages 0 to 17 in the state. The task force is composed of three committees – Perinatal Health, Unintentional Death Prevention and Intentional Death Prevention – that compile data and create policy proposals for the N.C. General Assembly.
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On March 2, Senate Bill 196, the "Student Borrowers’ Bill of Rights", was filed in the N.C. Senate. If passed, the bill would create a license requirement process for lenders to help ensure fair treatment for student loan borrowers and their families.
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On March 1 at 4:20 p.m., the North Carolina Senate passed a bill legalizing the use of marijuana for medical needs. If passed in the House, the "N.C. Compassionate Care Act," would legalize the use of marijuana for patients with cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. According to the bill, those with qualifying conditions or a designated caregiver will be able to purchase cannabis from licensed dispensaries with the use of an identification card. “I'm very optimistic about the conversations that are being had in Raleigh right now and about people's interest in this across the state,” N.C. Sen. Graig Meyer (D-Caswell, Orange, Person) said. “And I do think that we will likely see legislation moving ahead over the course of this year.”
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N.C. Rep. Tim Moore (R-Cleveland, Rutherford), the speaker of the North Carolina House, and N.C. Sen. Phil Berger (R-Guilford, Rockingham), the president pro tem of the North Carolina Senate, announced that they had come to an agreement on Medicaid expansion on March 2.
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Gov. Roy Cooper addressed the N.C. General Assembly and other state leaders tonight in his fourth State of the State address. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson provided the GOP’s response immediately afterward in a pre-recorded speech.
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The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday, March 1 that Medicaid users across the state may lose their healthcare coverage or see a reduction in benefits.The recertification process, or "Medicaid continuous coverage unwinding", will begin on April 1 due to changes at the federal level.
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The N.C. House of Representatives' permanent rules package for the 2023-2024 session, passed in the House on Feb. 15, includes a change to overriding the governor's veto. The rule will allow overriding votes to occur on any legislative day without prior notice to representatives, a change from the current 24- to 72-hour notice.
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