NORTH CAROLINA POLITICS

1/29/2020 10:20pm

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

Medicaid expansion and teacher pay have held up N.C.’s budget. Why are they important?

By Brent Van Vliet

“It’s an expensive program. I mean, Governor Cooper’s budget, his projections are over the first two years it would cost just over $6 billion, for the federal state share, just for two years.” Looking into the details of the Medicaid expansion and teacher pay policies reveal these programs have tangible effects for large populations of North Carolina, including the fact that they are primary reasons the state budget is unable to pass through the general assembly.

1/14/2020 8:43pm

Gray Ellis, of Durham, N.C. on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2019. Ellis is one of two candidates running for the North Carolins State Senate who openly identify as transgender. Ellis is a local business owner and lawyer practicing family law in Durham, N.C.  who is running on a platform of health care reform, education reform, and social welfare reform.

Post HB2, North Carolina may have its first transgender legislators

By Taylor Heeden

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.” 

1/10/2020 1:04am

Silent Sam blindfolded by a Confederate flag in 2015. The statue was recently given to Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Confederate group in Silent Sam deal accused of violating tax and campaign finance laws

By Charlie McGee

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. 

Editors Picks

12/3/2019 3:00pm

Confederate heritage supporters rallied in McCorkle Place to defend the statue of Silent Sam in 2015. Confederacy-related controversy has plagued UNC since, the latest of which came last week when the UNC System and Board of Governors settled a lawsuit with the Sons of Confederate Veterans under controversial circumstances.

'Victory': Confederates tout backdoor dealings of $2.5 million Silent Sam settlement

By Charlie McGee

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.

11/17/2019 9:30pm

(From left) Valerie P. Foushee, Graig Meyer and Verla Insko speak to the audience at Orange County's Democratic Party's election party at Might as Well in Chapel Hill in November 2018. 

Column: North Carolina would benefit from the Dream Act

 

As with most immigration policy, the real change here has to come through Congress. But from my view here in the state, all North Carolinians would benefit from Washington stepping up to make dreams come true.