WHITSETT — Red Oak Brewery owner Bill Sherrill wants his Guilford County operation to keep growing. But it can't unless the General Assembly changes a law forcing any brewery producing more than 25,000 barrels annually to distribute all its beer through a wholesaler.
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 — 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 — 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 — Under the job-years concept, if one person holds the same job for four years, it’s counted as four jobs. That’s how the North Carolina Department of Transportation can claim that federal funding for high-speed rail would create nearly 4,800 jobs when in fact only about 1,200 people would be employed.
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.
RALEIGH — Anyone attacking a pregnant woman could be charged with additional crimes if the attack causes a miscarriage. Opponents say it is the first time North Carolina law will define life as starting at the moment of conception, a point that was not disputed by backers of the law.
RALEIGH — Ilario Pantano is not taking any downtime after his narrow loss to U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-7th. Pantano filed campaign paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. He said he decided to keep his campaign active in order to meet as many potential voters as possible.
CHAPEL HILL - The man leading an effort to build an Islamic cultural center near ground zero in Manhattan spoke at UNC-Chapel Hill Wednesday night. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf gave a short speech then answered questions as part of the Weil lecture series. His plans to build the cultural center sparked national outrage.
RALEIGH — Supporters argue a picture ID is ubiquitous in modern society and does not present a burden to prospective voters. They also say it will give voters more peace of mind that their vote is safe from fraud. Opponents worry that the poor and elderly may not be able to get the proper documentation.
