RALEIGH — The North Carolina House of Representatives passed its more than $19-billion budget over the protests of the state's teachers' union. The budget plan now moves to the Senate, where GOP leaders say they may shrink spending even further.
RALEIGH — The budget would keep a fundamental promise Republicans made during the 2010 election campaign by eliminating the one-cent sales tax addition enacted in 2009.
RALEIGH — The Pew Center on the States says unfunded liabilities in state pensions grew 26 percent in the most recent year data are available. North Carolina’s projected rate of return is 7.25 percent, far exceeding real historic returns.
RALEIGH — At a meeting Thursday, the trustees for the state's two largest pension funds barely mentioned the unfunded liability created a year ago when Democrats shortchanged state employees.
RALEIGH — Republicans in a House committee split on whether to take more control over the Department of Transportation’s future efforts to build commuter rail across the state. Rep. Ric Killian, R-Mecklenburg, has been working to stop commuter upgrades to the tracks, but he’s faced stiff opposition.
RALEIGH — If House Bill 215 becomes law, North Carolina would join nearly three dozen other states in recognizing unborn children, along with their pregnant mothers, as potential crime victims. The bill also would signal the first time North Carolina law recognizes life as beginning at conception.
RALEIGH — Gov. Bev Perdue and other Democratic leaders say the Republicans’ tactics play political games with people depending on unemployment benefits. Republicans blame the state Employment Security Commission intentionally failed to notify lawmakers that the benefits would expire within days.
RALEIGH — The House hopes to send its completed budget to the Senate by the end of April, with a goal of having a final spending plan to Gov. Bev Perdue by June 1.
RALEIGH — This week, the House spending subcommittees charged with education, health and human services, justice and public safety, natural and economic resources, transportation, and general government will release their initial proposals.
RALEIGH — Most of the legislative action was in the state House this week, with lawmakers compromising on charter schools and debating a bill to put a roadblock in front of high-speed rail.
RALEIGH — The bill will be named after Matthew Gfeller, who died of a brain injury sustained during a high school football game. He played for R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem. The bill is likely to require athletes showing any sign of a concussion to be pulled from competition until testing shows it's safe for the athlete to return to play.
