News

Teacher’s union continues opposition over school reopening law

Even as a bill to reopen schools across North Carolina garnered unanimous bipartisan support and was fast-tracked through the legislature, North Carolina’s teacher’s union released a statement blasting Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and lawmakers from both political parties for the compromise. In a rare instance of bipartisan agreement, Cooper joined with both Republican and Democratic...

David N. Bass
News

House leaders introduce Emergency Powers Accountability Act

A group of N.C. House lawmakers have introduced a bill to, they say, strengthen and clarify current law to require approval from a majority of the Council of State for emergency actions by the governor. “This is not a Republican or Democrat issue,” said Rep. John Bell, R-Wayne. Bell is House majority leader.  “We can...

CJ Staff
News

Cooper, lawmakers announce school reopening deal; governor signs it into law

Article updated at Thursday, March 11. to include Senate and House proceedings and governor’s signing. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican lawmakers have reached an agreement on reopening public schools for in-person instruction under a compromise plan that returns most decision-making autonomy to local school boards. The state Senate voted 49-0 to approve the measure...

David N. Bass
News

Senate leader, governor say they’re talking about agreement to reopen schools

N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, says lawmakers are negotiating with Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, on a plan to reopen schools. Berger, in a news conference Tuesday, March 9, with Sen. Deanna Ballard, R-Watauga, offered no specifics about the plan. Berger had scheduled a news conference Monday, but he canceled it because of the...

CJ Staff
News

General Assembly passes COVID relief, to consider bill to fully reopen bars, restaurants

The General Assembly has passed with a unanimous vote a new COVID relief bill that would direct nearly $1.7 billion in aid across the state.  The legislature now will consider more contentious pandemic-related legislation, including a new bill that would allow the state’s bars and restaurants to fully reopen. The COVID relief bill is the...

Andrew Dunn

Help Support Non-profit Journalism & Donate Today

News

Test scores suggest remote-only learning is failing many N.C. students

A majority of North Carolina public school students failed to pass end-of-course tests in fall 2020, according to new data from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. The results were discussed at a state Board of Education meeting Wednesday, March 3. The data suggest learning losses for students due to school closures and remote-only learning...

David N. Bass
News

Senate to try again on school reopening bill override

After coming up one vote short in its first effort to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill to reopen schools, the Senate is moving to try again. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, announced that he would bring the override to another floor vote. The Senate will first vote Wednesday on a...

Andrew Dunn
News

New COVID relief bill promises $600 million more for colleges, K-12 schools

The N.C. General Assembly is considering a new COVID relief bill that would spend more than $600 million, primarily on North Carolina’s colleges and universities, and K-12 schools. The money comes from the federal government, part of the $2.3 trillion spending bill passed at the end of last year. House Bill 196 would allocate money...

Andrew Dunn
News

Lawmakers push bills to free counties from COVID restrictions; statewide bill could come soon

Lawmakers in the General Assembly have filed a series of bills that would exempt counties they represent from some or all of Gov. Roy Cooper’s COVID restrictions. These so-called “local bills” only apply to a small number of counties each. But unlike statewide legislation, these bills don’t require the governor’s signature to become law. Rep....

Andrew Dunn
News

Republicans’ effort to overturn veto, reopen schools, falls one vote short

The N.C. General Assembly on Monday, March 1, tried but failed — by one vote, 29-20 — to override the governor’s veto of a bill to reopen schools, even as students — parents, too — suffer, and opinion polls show residents want children back in the classroom. Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 37 came about...

John Trump
News

State’s public schools see large enrollment declines during COVID-19

Public school systems in the Tar Heel State are experiencing the highest declines in student enrollment in decades. Since the pandemic arrived in North Carolina last March, student enrollment in public schools has declined 4.4%, or nearly 63,000 students. For context, that number is nearly the size of North Carolina’s third-largest school district, Guilford County’s....

David N. Bass