RALEIGH -- Despite Chancellor Marye Anne Fox's appeal for reconsideration, N.C. State University's Faculty Senate passed Tuesday a finely tuned resolution censuring Fox for firing two members of the university's office of the provost. The censure is designed to express the faculty's displeasure with Fox's actions.
As the 108th U.S. Congress convenes today, national issues weigh heavily on the minds of lawmakers, but members of North Carolina's House delegation say they remain committed to concerns of the Tar Heel State. With Republicans in charge of both congressional chambers, eight of the 15 delegates from North Carolina will be in the majority party. But most representatives in the Triangle will be in the Democratic minority. No matter party affiliation, local congressmen say North Carolina's economy will head their priority lists.
At 1 a.m. Friday, a shackled Ernest Basden will march down the bleached hallway from the tight quarters of solitary confinement in death watch. He will be to be strapped into a gurney and spend the last hour of his life with the Central Prison chaplain. At 2 a.m., he will be put to death. Desmond Carter will follow Basden on Tuesday. Basden and Carter both were convicted of murder in 1993. Both were sentenced to die by lethal injection. After a series of appeals, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Oct. 2 Carter's plea for review. Basden's plea was denied Oct. 21. Gov.
A Republican-led coalition said last week that it could have enough votes to remove N.C. Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight from his decade-long reign over the chamber. Given the 28-22 Democratic majority in the Senate's upcoming session, Republicans have a chance to vote Basnight, D-Dare, out of the Senate's top position if they get at least four Democrats to vote against him. Basnight, who has held the top post in the Senate longer than any other legislator in history, often is considered one of the state's most powerful politicians.
Officials say the new Republican majority in the N.C. House will cause increased scrutiny of higher education budgets -- but Republicans say the UNC system's budget will not be singled out for cuts. Republican party officials and legislators have criticized past state budgets for overspending. This past session, Republican leaders -- including House Minority Leader Leo Daughtry, R-Johnston -- blasted the budget, saying it was unbalanced and typical of a budget produced by a Democratic majority.
Leaders of the N.C. Community College System submitted a request to the governor Thursday for an additional $96 million to raise faculty and professional staff salaries to competitive rates.
The crowd gathered at the home of N.C. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, was lighthearted and optimistic as Kinnaird held on to her Senate seat by a comfortable margin. Kinnaird won the election with about 66 percent of the vote, while Republican candidate Peter Morcombe received almost 31 percent and Libertarian candidate Christopher Todd Goss picked up 3 percent. A collection of family, volunteers, Democratic Party representatives and other supporters gathered at Kinnaird's home in Carrboro on Tuesday night to watch as election returns were reported.
Members of the NCAA board of directors approved proposals for new eligibility requirements for Division I sports Thursday in an attempt to increase athlete graduation rates. The changes will require athletes to achieve better grades in more of their high school core classes. Continued eligibility in college will be based on increased requirements for grade point averages and completed credit hours. "In the past I think we've looked at these issues separately," said Percy Bates, who heads the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Management Council.
As a result of redistricting, some entrenched Democratic state senators now find themselves accountable to more Republican constituents as they face re-election Nov. 5. Sen. Fountain Odom, D-Mecklenburg, is in just such a situation as he battles Republican challenger Robert Pittenger. "It pits the Republican quest for a majority in the Senate with the Democrats trying to defend and maintain one of their leaders," said Ferrel Guillory, director of UNC's Program on Southern Politics, Media and Public Life.
U.S. Senate hopefuls Erskine Bowles and Elizabeth Dole disagree over the importance of a presidential line-item veto in solving the nation's economic issues.
