NC Political News Briefs
North Carolina officials are weighing in on federal disability policy while state regulators report new information affecting fisheries management and drought response.
Stein challenges federal shift on disability-rights guidance
Gov. Josh Stein joined 17 other governors in urging U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche to preserve federal guidance associated with the Supreme Court’s 1999 decision in Olmstead v. L.C. The guidance addresses the right of people with disabilities to receive services in integrated community settings when appropriate. Stein said the U.S. Department of Justice created uncertainty by announcing that it would no longer rely on its longstanding Olmstead guidance. The governors’ action presents a state-federal legal and policy dispute involving implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Official source
Fisheries review identifies pending management questions
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries released its annual review of state and federally managed coastal species. The review said blue crab juvenile recruitment remains low, with a benchmark stock assessment expected by late 2026. The division also plans additional analysis of striped mullet data after management restrictions adopted in 2024, while southern flounder data show early signs of stock recovery following restrictions implemented beginning in 2019. The report will inform future regulatory reviews but does not itself establish new harvest limits. Official source
Severe drought brings reporting responsibilities for water systems
Two-thirds of North Carolina counties were experiencing some degree of drought as of the state’s Sept. 4 update, with extreme or exceptional conditions in parts of the Piedmont, northern Coastal Plain and Brunswick County. Water systems serving areas in the two most serious categories are advised to follow their water-shortage response plans and must report their water use and conservation status weekly. The Department of Environmental Quality said some streams had reached record-low levels, while Kerr Lake stood 8.3 feet below normal. Official source
Excerpt:
North Carolina government developments include a disability-rights dispute, fisheries-management findings and drought-related requirements for public water systems.
