News

Senate Democrats propose gas tax rebate for those with a driver’s license

North Carolina Senate Democrats have filed a bill for what they call a $200 gas tax rebate. Only people with a valid driver's license would get the rebate. Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue, D-Wake, said they would not support permanently lowering income taxes for everyone. Instead, they call to use $1.3 billion or 20% out of the anticipated $4.2 billion of this year’s state surplus to pay for the rebates.

Theresa Opeka, Donna King
News

N.C. General Assembly short session gets into full swing

The N.C. General Assembly convened the 2022 short session Wednesday, May 18, with fast-track plans to “pre-negotiate” the budget and be out by July 1. Still, important issues are on the to-do list, like health care access reports and parental involvement in education.

Theresa Opeka
News

N.C. General Assembly opens short session with short to-do list

The North Carolina General Assembly convened the 2022 short session Wednesday, May 18 after the longest long session in state history concluded in March. Both the Senate and the House would like the short session to stay short, especially after the marathon timeframe of the long session and for those who will be campaigning for the General Election in November.

Theresa Opeka
News

Plaintiffs renew plea for N.C. Supreme Court action in Leandro school funding dispute

Supporters of a proposed $1.7 billion court-ordered hike in N.C. education funding are renewing their pleas for action from the N.C. Supreme Court. Court filings Tuesday urge justices to take another look at a case that dates back to 1994. The direct issue is a retired Union County judge’s order to transfer the $1.7 billion...

CJ Staff
News

Jackson, Moffitt top business group’s legislative ratings

State Sen. Brent Jackson and Rep. Tim Moffitt earn the top marks in the latest legislative ratings from the N.C. FreeEnterprise Foundation. Jackson, R-Sampson, earns a 100.3 rating from NCFREE. That allows him to top Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, who ranks second among senators with a 99.7 rating. On the House side, Moffitt, R-Henderson,...

CJ Staff
News

N.C. House passes its new district maps

On Tuesday, November 2, The N.C. House voted along party lines in favor of its new House election district map, while the N.C. Senate approved new congressional maps. The votes come despite many Democrats saying the redistricting committee should “go back to the drawing board.” Democrats called to redo the maps to include race as...

Theresa Opeka

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News

GOP lawmakers fire back after judge sets arbitrary funding deadline in Leandro

Republican budget writers in the General Assembly are bristling after the judge in the long-running Leandro school funding case set an arbitrary deadline of Oct. 18 for lawmakers to fund the court-ordered plan. In a hearing Wednesday, Sept. 8, Superior Court Judge David Lee ordered the legislature to comply or he would explore options to...

David N. Bass
News

Advocates mark 25th anniversary of N.C. charter schools law

Twenty-five years ago this week the Tar Heel State legalized the creation of public charter schools. School choice advocates came together in Raleigh on Tuesday, June 22, to celebrate the milestone and highlight the impact of charter schools on families and students during the last quarter-century. “There is a philosophical war underway right now,” said...

David N. Bass
Opinion

State tax cut a must after citizens told to sacrifice

In the name of safety and at times part political theater, North Carolinians spent over a year following stringent emergency orders because of the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses shuttered, citizens lost their livelihood, millions eschewed social events or celebrations of any kind. Many young people are still hampered by mask mandates in schools. A silver lining...

Ray Nothstine
News

Parents share stories as school choice expansion advances in N.C. Senate

Legislation to expand school choice in North Carolina is on the move in both chambers of the General Assembly, after both the N.C. Senate Education Committee and Rules Committee OK’ed a measure to increase the dollar value of Opportunity Scholarships and open them to more families. Senate Bill 671 passed out of committee with little debate,...

David N. Bass
News

Cooper signs measures to address effects of pandemic on students

Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday, April 9, signed two bills into law designed to help students who lost more than a year of in-person learning because of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. House Bill 82, Summer Learning Choice for NC Families, establishes learning recovery and enrichment programs districts to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on...

CJ Staff
News

Berger opens legislative session; quotes Lincoln and talks about working with Cooper

Familiar faces will lead the N.C. General Assembly over the next two years. The N.C. House and Senate both re-elected their top leaders without opposition as lawmakers returned to work in Raleigh. The N.C. General Assembly, both the House and Senate, convened for the 2021-22 session noon Wednesday, Jan. 13. A unanimous House elected Rep....

John Trump
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