After more than three hours of debate, on Wednesday the state House passed the budget conference report for 2017-19 by an initial margin of 77-40, five votes more than needed to override a potential veto by Gov. Roy Cooper. The House is set on Thursday to give the compromise budget a…
The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services bristled Wednesday at a state audit that found the department failed to responsibly enforce sanitary requirements at dairy farms and milk plants to keep Grade “A” milk safe for consumers. In a contentious report outlining the findings, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler disputed…
RALEIGH — The General Assembly’s compromise budget plan funds House Bill 280, which would raise the age of many juvenile offenders from 16 to 18. The General Assembly has allocated $1 million to implement the plan, and $13.4 million to build a new juvenile detention facility. The N.C. Department of…
Legislation to provide surplus computers to students from low-income homes has passed the General Assembly. Republican Sens. Jeff Tarte, R-Mecklenburg; Andrew Brock, R-Davie; and Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell; sponsored Senate Bill 312. Rep. Jason Saine, R-Lincoln, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee on Information Technology, sponsored a similar version of the bill…
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday overturned a ruling by the N.C. Supreme Court that prevented sex offenders from using social media. In Packingham v. North Carolina, a convicted sex offender was arrested for using Facebook. The man, Lester Packingham, claimed a violation of his First Amendment rights. In the court’s opinion, social media…
Sen. Andy Wells, R-Catawba, wants know how much state taxpayer money agencies are spending for unintended purposes. During debate Thursday on House Bill 403, Wells joined other senators in criticizing the nearly $1 billion in reserve funds held by the seven state-designated Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organizations. The LME/MCOs administer regional services for mental…
UPDATED, June 16, 4:33 p.m. The Court of Appeals issued an order refusing Cooper’s requested stay. The elections/ethics board merger will remain in effect at least until the court hears arguments and comes to a decision about the constitutionality of the new board. 1:17 p.m. Late Friday morning, Gov.
North Carolina’s fiscal policy is relatively strong when compared to much of the country. A 2017 survey by the National Association of State Budget Officers found state governments have collected less revenue than expected after tax season. North Carolina, though, has done pretty well. NASBO says governors are recommending spending increases averaging 1 percent in…
North Carolina legislators could save taxpayers another $455 million in the next budget year. They would meet that target by using a tool called consensus-based budgeting. A new John Locke Foundation Spotlight report offers details. JLF is releasing its report as N.C. House and Senate…
The three-judge federal panel reviewing North Carolina’s legislative districts wants to respond quickly to the U.S. Supreme Court, making a 2017 special legislative session possible. But it’s not clear if it will get the information it requires from the defendants in the General Assembly, the Executive Branch, and independent state…
