A Durham County Superior Court judge has dismissed a New Bern eye surgeon’s lawsuit challenging the state’s certificate-of-need law.
All in Opinion
House votes to cut off expanded $300-a-week unemployment benefits
The state House has voted to make North Carolina the 26th state to withdraw from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, which provides an extra $300-a-week in jobless benefits to the unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senate won’t confirm Cooper’s pick to lead environmental agency
North Carolina relies on a single pipeline for its natural gas, making it uniquely vulnerable to disruptions, shortages, and even more nefarious problems.
Will hybrids drive the economy?
Plenty of politicians, planners, and business folks think they know what North Carolina’s post-pandemic economy will look like. But few seem entirely sure. They are noticeably hedging their predictions, which I consider to be a wise precaution. They ought to be hedging their bets, as well.
Cooper signs Republican bill to shorten driver permit period
A bill temporarily shortening the length of time required for a driving learner’s permit was signed by Gov. Roy Cooper this week. Republican bill sponsors proposed Senate Bill 69 in response to the growing waiting list of new drivers seeking a spot in mandatory driver’s education classes after the state Division of Motor Vehicles and driving schools were shut down during COVID.
Legislative overhaul of high-school sports organization all but certain
In its latest hearing into the N.C. High School Athletic Association, the private nonprofit that governs and manages most aspects of High School Sports, prominent education leaders said they have many of the same concerns as legislators.
N.C. county pushes back against corporate ‘wokeness,’ bans Coke machines
Surry County commissioners are pushing back against major corporations for what they describe as a “bigoted, left-wing divisive political agenda.”
Republicans propose $2.1 billion in cuts on state income taxes
Personal income tax rates would be slashed and the corporate tax rate entirely eliminated by 2028 under a proposal rolled out on Tuesday, May 25, by N.C. Senate Republicans.
Unemployment News Isn’t So Rosy
The latest estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show about 251,000 North Carolinians unemployed as of April, down about 58,000 since the beginning of 2021.
Democrats, unions fighting legislative move to open disciplinary records
A bill that would open disciplinary records of government employees is crawling through the Senate, and employee unions and Democrats are determined to kill it.
Democrats propose plan to fund Leandro without Republican backing
A bill sponsored by Democrats in the N.C. House would pump billions of additional dollars into public education over the next few years toward meeting the requirements of a new remedial agreement in the ongoing Leandro lawsuit.
Call from one leaders to another leaves university and town in turmoil
Could an obscure historical discovery force Wingate University and the town to change names? That question is roiling Wingate, a small Union County town 30 miles southeast of Charlotte.
N.C. unemployed must now prove they are seeking work to continue benefits
An executive order issued by Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday, May 21, requires recipients of unemployment benefits to prove they are searching for work to continue receiving benefits. The move makes North Carolina part of a growing number of states to reimplement the work-search requirement.
Nikole Hannah-Jones wasn’t cancelled
In a few weeks, New York Times reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones will join the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media, as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism. She accepted a five-year contract as a professor of the practice, with the possibility of receiving tenure at a later date.
Governor targets money to revitalize NASCAR tracks in N.C.
Lawmakers and the governor are moving bills and disclosing recommendations for using money from the American Rescue Plan, some $5.7 billion.
Club owners, promoters, and performers ready to go live
Gov. Roy Cooper, citing falling COVID infections and increased vaccinations, this month reopened the state, albeit not totally free and completely. Enough so, though, that fall festivals can start booking, and music clubs, opened with limited capacity since March, can again start making money.
Energy leaders, experts say N.C. too reliant on Colonial, Transco pipelines
North Carolina remains vulnerable to fuel shortages because it’s too reliant on a pair of pipelines for gas and energy, industry leaders and experts told lawmakers.
Bill would provide rescue education grants for NC parents
This summer may not be filled with pools and part-time jobs for students across the state who’ve struggled with a year of mandated remote school. In March of 2021, the State Board of Education reported that in May of 2020, after two months of remote school, test scores were at their lowest point with 75% of North Carolina third-graders falling below the proficiency thresholds in reading.
Still Room to Improve on Regs
When it comes to our business climate and economic prospects, North Carolinians are used to receiving accolades. Let’s add another to the list. The Cato Institute just released a study of regulatory barriers facing entrepreneurs. North Carolina fared well in the analysis, ranking 12th-best in the nation.
Attorney General Josh Stein sues Frontier Communications
Attorney General Josh Stein today sued internet service provider Frontier Communications, alleging that the company did not provide many people with internet service at the speeds it promised them and charged many of them for more expensive and higher-speed services than Frontier actually provided. Attorney General Stein is joined in this action by the Federal Trade Commission and four other states.