House Bill 951, signed by Gov. Roy Cooper earlier this month following bipartisan approval, seeks to lower the state’s carbon emissions while maintaining low costs for consumers. The bill sets two goals for decreasing emissions: a 70 percent reduction in 2015 emissions levels by 2030 and becoming completely carbon neutral by 2050.
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"In a district Price has easily carried over the past three decades, the district is all but certain to remain as a Democratic hold. Still, a new face will bring new ideas, policies and an agenda that may differ from Price’s."
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The No Patient Left Alone Act passed unanimously in the N.C. Senate and is now awaiting a signature from Gov. Roy Cooper. The bill would ensure patient visitation rights in most health care facilities and permit residential treatment facilities to receive visitors to the fullest extent.
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A bill designed to restrict the executive powers of the governor could soon be headed to Gov. Roy Cooper's desk. After several months of limited discussion in the Senate, it was amended and passed on Sept. 8. It was then sent back to the House, where it is currently under consideration.
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Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed SB 360, calling it "unconstitutional and unwise," despite legislative Republicans citing it as a vehicle to strengthen checks and balances in the state.
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Chapel Hill Town Council member Allen Buansi announced on Sept. 27 that he intends to run for the N.C. House seat that will be left vacant by N.C. Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange, in 2022.
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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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Chapel Hill's population grew by almost 5,000 over the past decade, the result of a boom in racial and ethnic diversity. Since 2010, North Carolina has gained more than 900,000 residents, a 9.5 percent increase that puts the state's total population at 10.4 million. A majority of the state's new residents are people of color, according to census data released Thursday. These numbers will be the basis for how political representation is allotted statewide for the next 10 years.
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These government officials represent UNC students at the local, state and national levels.
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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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