News
2 NC rivers rank among most endangered in 2026 report
Testing shows Rocco has the highest total PFAS levels of any water treatment plant in NC and the highest Gen-X levels of any groundwater-based system in the US.
Opinion
‘Twas the Night Before Blackouts
Below is a parody of the famous Christmas poem, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” but redone to describe the 2022 NC blackouts the night before Christmas. For those who need a primer on the events of that night, please see the overview below. If not, you can skip down to the poem itself. Enjoy and...
News
Legislative session builds on fiscal, regulatory reforms
The Republican-led General Assembly in the just-ended 2016 short session maintained spending restraint, created and enlarged fiscal safeguards in case of an economic downturn, granted more income tax relief, moved toward merit pay raises for state employees, resolved coal ash cleanup disputes, and eliminated some health care regulations. Although the $22.34 billion 2016-17 General Fund...
News
Coal ash cleanup bill heads to governor
The state House on Thursday approved a compromise coal ash cleanup bill, agreeing with a measure passed earlier in the week by the Senate. The coal ash legislation is in response to a 2014 spill into the Dan River near Eden. The General Assembly created a coal ash commission to oversee the cleanup. However, the...
News
Coal ash cleanup bill awaits vote in House
A coal ash cleanup bill moved quickly through the state Senate on Tuesday. House Bill 630 would repeal all provisions in state law related to a Coal Ash Management Commission that was struck down by the N.C. Supreme Court. Instead, coal ash cleanup will come under the supervision of the state’s Department of Environmental Quality....
News
Democratic A.G. Primary Pits Insider Versus ‘Perennial Candidate’
The matchup in the Democratic primary for North Carolina Attorney General pits an insider against an outsider. State Sen. Josh Stein, who worked in the North Carolina Department of Justice before being elected to the General Assembly, will face Robeson County attorney Marcus Williams. Stein, a four-term senator from Raleigh, is seeking to succeed four-term...
News
Analysts: Abrupt End To Session Has Election Overtones
RALEIGH — Competing House and Senate plans for Medicaid reform will be addressed after the Nov. 4 general election, but another stab at coal ash legislation could happen before then. Political analysts say Democrats will use that unfinished business to try to fire up their base while Republicans point to a budget that increases teacher and state employee pay without raising taxes.
News
Coal Ash Solution May Rest in Recycling, Not Storage
RALEIGH — John Ward, committee chairman of the American Coal Ash Association said technology exists to transform the old, wet material stored in ash ponds into a finer, dry fly ash material commonly used in making concrete. He said a study conducted several years by a construction trade association concluded using ash to increase the durability of concrete “saves us over $5.2 billion a year by making concrete roads and bridges last longer.”
Opinion
Freedom’s Foes Will Fail
To say that a corporation does anything is really to say that a group of individuals, organized in some mutually agreeable fashion, is taking that action.
News
McCrory’s Budget Raises Pay While Keeping Tax Cuts
RALEIGH — Gov Pat McCrory telegraphed his top spending priorities in the weeks leading up to Wednesday's unveiling of a $21 billion General Fund budget. The proposed 2014-15 budget is $359.5 million more than the current 2013-14 budget, representing a 1.7 percent increase. The spending plan includes modest spending increases even though the 2013 session of the General Assembly enacted a sweeping tax reform package including lower marginal tax rates.
News
Short Session of General Assembly Has Lengthy Agenda
RALEIGH — Lawmakers return to the capital today for the first time since the historic 2013 session in which they reformed the tax code, cut taxes, enacted broad changes to election laws, fought back against Medicaid expansion and Obamacare, and tightened up the state’s unemployment insurance program. The primary focus will be increasing teacher compensation and dealing with Medicaid cost overruns in a tight fiscal atmosphere.
Opinion
New Session Could Be Short But Busy
State legislators return to Raleigh next week with plenty of big items on their agenda.
