Mask wars have once again erupted in Buncombe County after the school board voted during a specially called meeting last week, without public comment, to require all students and staff to wear masks while inside, regardless of vaccination status.
All in Opinion
Op Ed: Laurie Moody - American Families Need Access to Paid Family Leave
Benjamin Franklin gave us many great words of wisdom. One of his best lines is that we should “do well by doing good.” While this ideal may have worked in the politics and government of early American history in the 1700’s, we don’t see much of that sentiment in today’s public policy. People of all political stripes (right, middle, left and those not involved at all) are tired of the fighting and looking to support policies that exemplify the words of Mr. Franklin.
Voters would end racial preferences
The University of North Carolina systemically discriminates by race and ethnicity in student admissions and faculty hiring. Arguably such behavior is already forbidden by federal and state law. Now a group of state lawmakers has proposed an amendment to the state constitution that would eliminate all doubt on the matter.
Attorney General Josh Stein: Repealing Pistol Permit Law will make North Carolinians less safe
Attorney General Josh Stein today released a statement on the Pistol Purchase Permit Repeal (HB 398), which would eliminate the sheriff’s background check before granting a permit to a person before they can purchase a pistol.
House, Senate budgets fund components of Leandro, but critics still unhappy
Budgets passed with bipartisan support in both chambers of the General Assembly fund a number of provisions in the ongoing Leandro school funding legal case, but critics still contend the money falls short of the mark.
Bills, now in committee, snip away at barriers to entry in cosmetology
At Alexander Paul Institute of Hair Design in Greenville, N.C., students are looking toward the future. Here they learn to cut, curl, and color hair, but also tend to customers and build their client base — all the skills they will need for a lucrative career in cosmetology and other personal services.
"Frozen in amber" UNC-dependent Chapel Hill suffers after COVID locks town down
It’s around lunchtime on a Wednesday in mid-July, the bright remnants of the morning quickly morphing into the typical hot, heavy Carolina afternoon. A dozen or so people — diners and drinkers — survey downtown Chapel Hill from atop a third-floor balcony at Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery.
Everyone favors limits on democracy
Why won’t North Carolina Democrats accept the results of an election? Don’t they believe in democracy?
Lawmakers Embrace Capital Idea
North Carolina’s state government has a multi-billion-dollar surplus. Its enormity has multiple causes: past spending discipline, revenue growth from a resurgent economy, and gobs of borrowed federal money. Its enormity also presents North Carolina’s conservative-run legislature with a challenge.
Redistricting process to focus first on criteria, hearings
The N.C. General Assembly's election mapmakers will spend the next week debating and adopting criteria for this year's redistricting process.
Republicans in N.C. House, Dems in Congress weigh in on vaccine mandates
The push and pull regarding vaccination mandates continues, both on Capitol Hill and in. the state legislature, from Republicans and from Democrats.
Bill that frees up pharmacists, requires parental consent for vaccines, heads to governor
The N.C. House on Thursday, Aug. 5, concurred with the Senate on a bill giving parents control over the COVID vaccine.
Op Ed: Tony Chavonne - Congress should pass targeted tax increases, not increase corporate tax rate
During his recent trip to Illinois, President Joe Biden made the case for funding trillions of dollars in infrastructure projects through increasing the corporate tax rate. Most Americans agree that infrastructure is critical to the wellbeing of any society. We all want to drive on safe roads, have drinkable water come from the tap, and be able to reliably access broadband in our communities. But where the disagreement typically occurs is how we will pay for these public goods and services.
Cooper urges Council of State members to ‘push vaccines as hard as you can’
On the heels of a new executive order requiring state employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine or be required to wear a mask and submit to weekly testing, Gov. Roy Cooper is urging other members of the Council of State to push their own staffs to get vaccinated.
Charlotte set to approve new nondiscrimination ordinance, its first since H.B. 2
The city of Charlotte is set to approve an ordinance aimed at barring businesses and employers from discriminating against people based on transgender identity and other “protected classes.” The measure is similar to the one that launched the “Bathroom Bill” controversy in 2016 and led to a significant fundraising advantage for Democrats in that year’s elections.
Midyear fundraising numbers offer clues about the 2022 political battles
Carolina Journal recently reported on the second quarter federal fundraising numbers for declared U.S. Senate candidates in North Carolina.
Republican Council of State members, Cooper clash over unemployment benefits
Some Republican members of the N.C. Council of State used a meeting Tuesday, Aug. 3, to underscore the challenges employers face in finding workers because, at least in part, of generous unemployment benefit payments from the federal government.
Lay welcome mat for new houses
When demand exceeds supply, prices rise. While the problem of housing affordability has many facets and effects, that inescapable fact explains a lot about why so many North Carolinians struggle to afford the homes they’d like to buy or rent.
Auditors find clerical errors boosting risk of fraud at community college
State auditors found Roanoke-Chowan Community College issued more than $10.3 million in checks with invalid signatures between August 2019 and August 2020, putting the school at increased risk of fraud.
Cases involving Barber, CON await N.C. Court of Appeals in-person hearings
Cases involving a high-profile political activist and a controversial state medical regulation await the N.C. Court of Appeals as it returns to regular in-person hearings in August.