Gov. Roy Cooper has pulled out his veto stamp again to reject bills dealing with public school indoctrination and penalties for rioting. Cooper now has vetoed 10 bills this year and 63 bills since becoming governor in 2017.
All in Opinion
State Supreme Court allows quick-acting felons to vote in upcoming elections
Felons who registered to vote in North Carolina during an 11-day window between recent court rulings will be allowed to vote in upcoming elections. The state Supreme Court ruled Friday in favor of those quick-acting prospective voters.
What’s more democratic than an election
Do the ends justify the means? This familiar question produces strong feelings precisely because its answer is necessarily complicated. Just about all of us admit to a scenario, such as the proverbial ticking time-bomb, in which we would countenance unsavory means if required to save lives. In general, however, most religious and ethical traditions teach that we are not permitted to use injurious or unethical means to accomplish even noble ends.
Bill allowing festival liquor sales and online orders from ABC stores passes Senate
The N.C. Senate has passed House Bill 890, an all-encompassing measure that could help distillers succeed in a crowded and burgeoning industry.
GOP lawmakers fire back after judge sets arbitrary funding deadline in Leandro
Republican budget writers in the General Assembly are bristling after the judge in the long-running Leandro school funding case set an arbitrary deadline of Oct. 18 for lawmakers to fund the court-ordered plan.
OPINION: ‘Global Whiteness’ class embarrassing even for UNC
A leaked syllabus of a class called “Global Whiteness” at the University of North Carolina reads like a parody of today’s campus race obsession and radicalism. Campus Reform published a copy that includes topics like “White Trash,” “Enlightenment or Enwhitenment?” and “How is Trump racist?” Perhaps most laughable is the course appears to blame America and the West in the Pacific Theater during World War II instead of on Japan’s racist imperialism and aggression.
Senate votes, 27-15, to limit governor's emergency powers
The state Senate has voted again, 27-15, to place new limits on the governor's emergency powers. The Senate's endorsement of the measure returns the issue to the state House.
The political parties split on House Bill 264, with Republicans voting yes and Democrats voting no.
Senate passes bill to ease bottlenecks of HOPE Rental Assistance Program
The N.C. Senate passed House Bill 110 on Wednesday, Sept. 8, which would modify rules to the HOPE rental assistance program.
OPINION: One state Supreme Court case could destroy the court for years to come
In an astonishing and unprecedented power grab that will overturn 200 years of case law and prior precedents, Democrats on the state Supreme Court are preparing to disqualify and remove two duly-elected Republican Supreme Court justices from a case so they can nullify voters’ decision to amend the Constitution.
Trade lifts North Carolina economy
When North Carolinians are free to trade with whomever they choose, be it South Carolinians or South Koreans, some local businesses may lose sales. The case for markets isn’t based on promises of cost-free benefits or perfect outcomes. No such promises could ever be honored in the real world.
Latest CON court ruling helps keep Kitty Hawk surgery center closed
An ambulatory surgery center in Kitty Hawk will remain closed for the foreseeable future, thanks to the latest certificate-of-need ruling from the N.C. Court of Appeals.
Major anniversary approaches for N.C. right-to-work protections
That simple statement opens the text of a state law that has helped boost North Carolina’s economic competitiveness for nearly 75 years.
As push for masks surges, young Republicans take stand against mandates
Climbing COVID-19 hospitalizations in North Carolina have energized the campaign for renewed mask mandates. The rules have also sparked protests from some who view it as a threat to personal liberty and dispute the efficacy of masking toward mitigating the spread of coronavirus.
Make licensing reform a priority
According to the most-recent ranking I can find, North Carolina requires state-approved licenses in more occupations (nearly 200) than most other states do. North Carolina licenses twice as many occupations as Virginia does, and three times as many as South Carolina.
Cooper vetoes bill protecting privacy rights for charitable donations
Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed a measure that would keep charitable donors’ personal information private. "This legislation is unnecessary and may limit transparency with political contributions," Cooper said in a statement as the reason he rejected the privacy measure on Friday.
Lawmakers schedule 13 redistricting hearings from the mountains to the coast
The legislative committees charged with drawing North Carolina's new congressional and legislative election maps will take public comment at 13 different hearings during the next month. Participating lawmakers will head as far east as Elizabeth City and as far west as Cullowhee.
N.C. lawmakers send anti-indoctrination bill to Cooper
One of the most hotly debated bills of the legislative section cleared its final hurdle Wednesday, Sept. 1, and now heads to Gov. Roy Cooper, who could add the measure to his growing list of vetoes.
Cooper, Winston-Salem officials address mental health, gun issues after shooting
The shooting death of a student at Mount Tabor High School in Winston-Salem this week brought local and state leaders together Thursday in mourning and to recognize the heroism of local police and faculty. Gov. Roy Cooper traveled to Winston Salem for the news conference and took the opportunity to call for more school spending on “wraparound services” and more gun control measures.
Poor test scores show the effects of school closures, remote learning on students
Test results in reading, math, and science for the 2020-21 school year show the effects school closures and remote learning have had on public school students in North Carolina.
Lawmakers finalize anti-rioting bill, send it to Cooper
The N.C. House voted 63-41 Tuesday on a final version of a bill increasing penalties for rioting. The bill now heads to the governor.