Carolina Journal is taking a brief look at each new member of the General Assembly — 10 in the Senate and 11 in the House. We look at where they’ve been, what they’re doing now, and what we might expect them to do as lawmakers. The 2021-22 session began in late January. Expect COVID-19 and the ongoing...
North Carolina has been shut down for six months, 30 weeks, more than 200 days. The N.C. Constitution created a feeble executive branch, and its governor remained among the weakest in the nation. Until now. When the pandemic hit, Gov. Roy Cooper seized control of the economy, selecting essential businesses and shuttering the rest. His orders unleashed...
Democratic state Senate candidate J.D. Wooten rented two Greensboro houses he owns to a convicted drug dealer, according to news reports. Last week, Triad television station WXII reported Wooten’s connection to Aqib Khan Malik, who’s been convicted four times in the past five years for dealing drugs. Malik was arrested in June 2020 for dealing...
In an apparent attempt to answer concerns about a controversial home loan, Democrat J.D. Wooten may have raised questions about where he lived when he filed documents to run in state Senate District 24. Wooten, a Greensboro lawyer, is one of six Democratic candidates in “Republican-leaning” Senate districts the left-wing 501(c)4 group Education Now is...
Bars in North Carolina will remain closed, a judge ruled Friday, June 26. The N.C. Bar and Tavern Association filed a lawsuit June 4 on behalf of 185 business owners after Gov. Roy Cooper shut them down March 17 because of worries over COVID-19. The association sought a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction...
The General Assembly’s short session is almost over. Here’s a look at what happened this week: Tillman retirement: After 18 years in the Senate, Jerry Tillman, R-Randolph, said he’ll retire at the end of June. He announced his departure Thursday, June 25, on the Senate floor, stunning colleagues. Tillman has been a fierce advocate for...
Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed a bill opening gyms and bars. Cooper waited until the legislature adjourned for the weekend before acting on the measure, which strikes yet another blow against businesses struggling to survive amid a pandemic and ongoing protests over the killing of George Floyd. Cooper, a Democrat, has now twice vetoed a...
Just off North Carolina’s Highway 55 sits a tiny biker bar near the line of Wake and Harnett counties. As you’re passing by, you’ll see a sign out front. “Big Daddy’s Roadhouse,” it reads up top. In large, block lettering, a message is spelled out below for all to see. “And yes — your bar...
A bill reopening gyms and bars and expanding seating in restaurants has cleared the General Assembly. Again. The N.C. House on Wednesday, June 10, voted, 69-50, to send a rewritten House Bill 594 to Gov. Roy Cooper, who vetoed an earlier version of the legislation because he worries lawmakers are trying to usurp his power....
The N.C. Senate plans to vote Tuesday, June 9, on legislation that would reopen gyms, bars, and expand in-person dining at restaurants. Sen. Rick Gunn, R-Alamance, tweaked existing and vetoed legislation so that Gov. Roy Cooper would sign it. Cooper on Friday vetoed H.B. 536, which would have reopened private bars and clubs, as well...
Gov. Roy Cooper late in the afternoon of Friday, June 5, vetoed a bill that would have reopened private bars and clubs, as well as expanded outdoor seating in restaurants and brewpubs. Cooper, a Democrat, signaled all along he would veto the measure, House Bill 536. He publicly expressed concerns about lawmakers taking away some...
