After commending former Congressman David Price for his service to District 4, the Chapel Hill Town Council discussed the annual budget and potential updates to the Administering Concept Plan and conditional zoning applications at its Feb. 15 meeting.
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Between 2015 and 2018, North Carolina gun stores received 178 violations from federal investigators. Violations range from clerical errors to the illegal sales of firearms to a prohibited purchaser, according to gun store inspection reports released by Brady: United Against Gun Violence.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The bill would repeal handgun laws that are currently in place, such as a law prohibiting someone without a permit from purchasing a pistol. The law currently requires a local sheriff’s permission and permit before a North Carolinian can legally buy a handgun.
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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.
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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.
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Attorney General Josh Stein has informed the North Carolina General Assembly of his conclusion that Chapel Hill OB-GYN Dr. Amy Bryant's preemption argument in Bryant v. Stein is legally correct, according to Stein's Press Secretary Nazneen Ahmed.
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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.
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A U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday that a North Carolina law making "derogatory reports" toward candidates during an election cycle illegal was "likely unconstitutional."
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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.
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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.
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Orange County Schools received $32,265 for modernization in career and technical (CTE) education programs in its middle schools.
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Rob Schofield, director of NC Policy Watch, said there will be big debates about whether N.C. will join other states around the country in expanding Medicaid. This would be a large step as more than half a million North Carolinians could gain health insurance if legislators take that path, according to Schofield.
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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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This November, after decades of debate over the adequacy and funding of North Carolina’s public school system, the N.C. Supreme Court ruled that hundreds of millions of dollars will be allocated for public schools. The decision in Hoke County Board of Education v. State of North Carolina is the latest development to an adjacent case from 1997, Leandro v. State of North Carolina — also known as "Leandro I."
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The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Dec. 7 regarding Moore v. Harper, a case resulting from what lower courts saw as unconstitutional gerrymandering by the state General Assembly. The decision could impact how redistricting processes are handled throughout the country.
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Gov. Roy Cooper announced the appointment of several members to the Andrea Harris Equity Task Force. The mission of the task force is to advise state government offices on ways to promote economic development, equitable practices, health and wellness in disadvantaged communities impacted by COVID-19.
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