News

Court ruling on legislative maps could come soon

GREENSBORO — The three-judge federal panel handling the Covington v. North Carolina redistricting lawsuit did not say Friday which of the three legislative maps under consideration they preferred, or hint when they might issue an order. But they suggested the ruling could come soon. After hearing more than four hours of presentations and testimony, U.S....

Dan Way
News

Politics affecting members’ decisions, UNC Board of Governors chair writes

The University of North Carolina’s governing body allows politics to seep into its decision making — a bad habit, Board of Governors chairman Lou Bissette says. It’s always been a challenge for board members to balance freedom and accountability, but today that challenge is greater than ever, he wrote in a recent column for the...

Kari Travis
News

Trump cites ‘judicial emergency;’ renominates Farr for federal court vacancy

Raleigh attorney Thomas Farr will get his fourth opportunity to serve in eastern North Carolina’s federal District Court. If confirmed, Farr would fill a vacancy he first was chosen for more than a decade ago. President Trump, citing “judicial emergencies” on federal courts in North Carolina, Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin, renominated Farr...

CJ Staff
Video

Carolina Journal’s Rick Henderson recaps key pieces of Hammocks Beach property fight

Rick Henderson, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, recaps key elements of the property-rights fight between the Hurst family and the state of North Carolina over land near the Hammocks Beach State Park. Henderson offered these comments during an interview with Donna Martinez for Carolina Journal Radio.

Rick Henderson
News

Analysts question whether voters would end judicial elections

The Republican-led Senate Select Committee on Judicial Reform and Redistricting on Wednesday rolled out a skeleton proposal for a constitutional amendment to switch from electing judges to a multistep appointment process. But political observers are skeptical the public would surrender the right to elect judges and pass a required referendum if an amendment went to...

Dan Way

Opinion

Elections

News

Trump nominates Bishop to be deputy director for budget at OMB

"Dan has been a tireless fighter for our MAGA Movement in the House of Representatives on the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees," Trump said in a press release issued Tuesday night. "Dan will implement my cost-cutting and deregulatory agenda across all Agencies, and root out the Weaponized Deep State."

Theresa Opeka
News

Democrats want federal court to address GOP challenge of 60,000 NC ballots

The North Carolina Democratic Party filed a lawsuit Friday to ensure challenges of 60,000 ballots in the state's latest election are addressed in federal court. Republicans filed the challenges with the State Board of Elections. The challenges could affect the outcome of the state Supreme Court race between Democrat Allison Riggs and Jefferson Griffin, along with a handful of state legislative contests.

CJ Staff
News

Griffin asks Appeals Court to order decision on election protests by Tuesday

Republican North Carolina Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin is turning to North Carolina’s second-highest court for an order that would force state election officials to make a final decision about Griffin’s election protests Tuesday. The State Board of Elections had planned to hear oral arguments about the protests the following day, according to a document Griffin filed Friday with the state Court of Appeals.

CJ Staff

Videos

Video

The Debrief: Remaining Covid Lawsuits + Sam Hayes Interview

This week on The Debrief, Mitch Kokai and Donna King discuss the remaining covid lawsuits and other court cases in North Carolina. Plus, North Carolina State Board of Elections Executive Director Sam Hayes sat down with Carolina Journal’s Theresa Opeka to talk about his first year in office, including his accomplishments and what’s on the...

Culture

Civil Society

Opinion

For healthy civil society, politics needs to stay in its lane

Political and cultural causes are important. They motivate us to make the world around us better and hone our sense of justice. Also, the excitement of fighting the good fight can be, for lack of a better word, fun. But everything has its time and place. And even if we think a particular political issue...

David Larson
Opinion

Flashback: North Carolina’s Easter Monday tradition forged on the baseball diamond

On Good Friday state offices will be closed in North Carolina for Holy Week, along with 10 other states. However, that has not always been the case in North Carolina. The Monday after Easter — rather than Good Friday — was a legal holiday in North Carolina for 52 years, and for many years before...

Dallas Woodhouse