The turmoil surrounding COVID-19 derailed much of the work the General Assembly had done before the pandemic. Battles over redistricting reform, tax relief, teacher pay, and hemp legislation disappeared from the headlines. But lawmakers have left Raleigh and plan to return in September. The 10-day period from the date the General Assembly passes a law...
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many questions with precious few answers. It’s tough to debate otherwise. A dearth of data, beyond the numbers of confirmed cases and deaths, allowing people to make reasonable decisions about their safety — and returning to some sense of normalcy — is clearly problematic. It’s just one aspect as a...
The House is wasting little time addressing the challenges COVID-19 has posed to North Carolina. It’s pushing a roughly $1.7 billion omnibus bill to provide relief to North Carolina from the COVID-19 outbreak. The House Rules Committee approved six COVID-19 related bills during a Wednesday, April 29, virtual meeting. The bills will be wrapped into...
N.C. House members took on a host of time-sensitive issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic during a Wednesday, April 29, meeting of the House Pensions and Retirement Committee. They also voted to more than triple their death benefits, despite worries that raising payments from $15,000 to $50,000 during the coronavirus outbreak would look bad. The...
Each week, staff at Carolina Journal looks back at the week in N.C. politics and chooses several interesting, relevant stories you may have missed. Here’s this week’s review: Prison pandemic response: The House continuity of state operations working group heard March 31 about the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic poses to state prisons. DPS wants the...
Congress is working toward a third major COVID-19 relief bill including provisions tackling economic and education challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a good start, said Terry Stoops, vice president of research and director of education studies at the John Locke Foundation. But more may be needed down the line. Schools across the country...
Second of two parts As North Carolina fights the coronavirus, the General Assembly should take a few simple, smart steps to keep public education on track and the economy afloat, experts say. On March 10, Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Days later, he closed schools...
With K-12 schools across the state closed until May 15, lawmakers and education officials are working to ensure students are still able to get an education and that school employees are paid. The education working group of the House Select Committee on COVID-19 met virtually Thursday, March 26, to discuss the range of issues facing...
As unemployment numbers surge, N.C. lawmakers are exchanging ideas and working on ways to provide relief to suffering residents. The economic working group of the House Select Committee on COVID-19 met virtually for the first time Wednesday, March 25, despite some significant hiccups with poor audio quality and occasional feedback. N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore,...
Regulations continue to prevent advanced nurse practitioners from volunteering to care for sick or injured people in North Carolina. To treat patients, nurse practitioners must fall under the supervision of a physician. In fact, nurse practitioners often meet with their supervisor only twice a year, yet still pay thousands of dollars to comply. The nurse...
Marty Kotis, a member of the University of North Carolina System’s Board of Governors, for years has pushed for more online learning programs from UNC’s college campuses. He hasn’t gathered much support, but that may change now that the coronavirus pandemic is uprooting traditional higher education. “I hate that this is what it takes for...
