On a Tuesday in June, mothers who lost children to distracted driving took a minute to speak. The mothers stood alongside N.C. lawmakers, who are pushing for legislation requiring drivers to put down their phones. Holding a phone while driving is akin to holding a weapon, Jeanette Nash told those…
The N.C. House on Thursday, July 11, after years of contentious debate and myriad failed efforts, were finally able to pass a bill, in an 86-28 vote, that would align craft distilleries more closely with rules governing wine and craft beer. The…
The N.C. House is poised to pass Senate Bill 290 — which passed the Senate, 39-4, June 25. A new version of S.B. 290 on Wednesday, July 10, passed the House Rules Committee. Sen. Rick Gunn, R-Alamance, announced in the meeting the bill had been combined…
The state House overwhelmingly passed a bill temporarily ending a stalemate over the budget. But even after House Bill 111 passed Wednesday, July 10, the General Assembly’s political game of chicken with Gov. Roy Cooper continues. At the center of the fight is Medicaid expansion. The…
The General Assembly is shuffling and slogging its way toward a simpler criminal code. Senate Bill 584, Criminal Law Reform, is another attempt to clean up North Carolina’s mishmash of criminal laws. Picking through the disarray is proving a slow process for lawmakers. The…
Residents of Roanoke Rapids could vote soon to raise their local sales tax by a full percentage point. Money raised from the 1-cent tax increase would help pay off debt linked to the infamous Randy Parton Theatre. The N.C. House voted 98-17 on Wednesday, July 10, to approve…
Earlier this month, Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law The Vacation Rental Act, Senate Bill 483. The legislation restricts local governments such as Raleigh’s to regulate short-term rentals. In May, Raleigh passed…
House Bill 536, ABC Omnibus Regulatory Reform, cleared the N.C. House, 91-24, on Tuesday, July 9, and was sent to the Senate. The bill, which has undergone many revisions, includes aspects of House Bill 91, originally the product of a study by the…
As hospitals fight cost-cutting reforms to the State Health Plan, State Treasurer Dale Folwell remains undaunted. The treasurer’s fight to overhaul the state health plan has pitted state employees and taxpayers against the hospital industry. Folwell promises to save taxpayers $258 million and plan members almost…
House Bill 536, ABC Omnibus Regulatory Reform, has cleared the N.C. House committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations and heads to the floor for a vote. The bill is now a proposed committee substitute, including the original bill and aspects of House Bill…
