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N.C. shellfish industry gets a boost through loan program
Shellfish aquaculture in North Carolina has gotten a big boost thanks to a recently announced loan program aimed at helping shellfish growers.
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N.C. Gov. Cooper signs three bills into law, including one allowing FDA approved THC medications
North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper signed three bills into law yesterday, June 14, including one that legalizes FDA-approved THC medications.
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N.C. House passes bill allowing THC drugs that are FDA-approved
The N.C. House voted Wednesday 92-9 in favor of S.B. 448 which may put a halt to the Compassionate Care Act.
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General Assembly to consider bill preventing boys and men from competing on female sports teams
The General Assembly will soon consider a bill that seeks to protect women’s sports by preventing boys and men from being allowed to compete on female teams in middle school, high school and college. House Bill 358 would require public schools fielding sports teams to identify teams as male, female, or co-ed. The same would...
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Parents, school leaders describe consequences of remote-only learning as N.C. House committee passes reopening bill
Parents in 14 North Carolina public school districts would have the option of sending their children to full-time, in-person instruction under a local bill approved by the N.C. House K-12 Education Committee on Tuesday, March 9. The measure, House Bill 90, is designed as an end run around Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill...
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Efforts to reopen N.C. classrooms ramp up, despite Cooper’s veto
The N.C. State Board of Education passed a resolution Thursday, March 4, calling on all public school districts to give parents the option of in-person learning by the end of March. The education board’s action is the latest step in a growing consensus to swiftly reopen school classrooms across the state. The resolution also included...
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N.C. House Republican majority grows, dashing Democratic hopes
North Carolina Democrats lost four seats in the state House on Election Day. Republicans will open the 2021 legislative session with a 69-51 majority. It was an upset. Legislative redistricting, brought on by lawsuits in 2019, should’ve made it easier for Democrats to gain ground. Instead, the party lost seats during an election year where...
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Tough decisions ahead as N.C. General Assembly opens for short session
The N.C. General Assembly has tough decisions to make, and little time to make them. That’s the message lawmakers voiced Monday, April 27, during a handful of presentations about policy priorities. As the legislature gavels in Tuesday for its short session, Raleigh’s legislative complex will fall under intense scrutiny as people watch their representatives and...
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Shifting sands: We continue to build and live along the N.C. coast, but should we?
Coastal communities are no strangers to the heavy winds and the massive storm surges hurricanes bring. Hurricane Dorian was no different when it hammered North Carolina’s barrier islands at the start of September. The people are resilient. They will rebuild, as they always do, after each hurricane. But should they? That’s the question local officials...
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Cooper vetoes ‘born alive’ bill; pro-life groups fire back
Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, drew the wrath of pro-life supporters Thursday, April 18, when he vetoed Senate Bill 359, “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.” The bill would have required medical professionals to provide the same treatment to babies who survive an abortion procedure they give to other infants. Thursday’s action marks the first veto...
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Bill blocking State Health Plan reforms passes House
The state House passed a bill Wednesday, April 3, limiting State Treasurer Dale Folwell’s plans to make the State Health Plan more solvent. But the bill may not get a hearing in the Senate, letting Folwell move forward. House Bill 184 would block Folwell’s proposal to make hospital pricing agreements with insurers more transparent and...
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Atlantic Coast Pipeline committee will examine timing of MOU, permit
Did state approval of the North Carolina segment of the 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline depend on Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration securing a $57.8-million discretionary “mitigation fund” with the pipeline operators? Documents obtained by Carolina Journal suggest it did. The federal government approved the pipeline in October 2017, but the state did not sign off on...
