News Items

Tillis Committee

Supporters of House Speaker Thom Tillis have created a federal super PAC to raise and spend money independently to support a potential U.S. Senate bid of the Mecklenburg County Republican.

MODIFIED: 05/24/13 15:17:14

Realtors' Ads

The N.C. Association of Realtors is continuing its public push against the elimination of the state mortgage interest and property tax deductions and other possible provisions in the Senate tax reform plan.

MODIFIED: 05/24/13 13:03:23

Senate Budget

The state Senate finished debate on its $20.6 billion budget Thursday and voted 33-17 to send the measure to the House.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 23:59:27

UNC Changes

As a new leadership team takes shape at UNC-Chapel Hill, an insider has been named as the second-in-command to incoming Chancellor Carol Folt.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 23:58:46

Ag-Gag Opposition

Republican political pundit Mary Matalin has made a video for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 23:58:10

Peacock Bid

Edwin Peacock, a former Charlotte City Councilman, has hired veteran GOP strategist Jack Hawke to be his senior strategist in his campaign for Charlotte mayor.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 23:57:22

Trooper Appreciation

State Trooper Michael Potts, wounded in a shooting during a traffic stop in Durham earlier this year, planned to take up the governor on that promise of a steak and lobster dinner at the mansion Thursday night.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 23:51:21

Campaign Checks

One check is written with loopy cursive handwriting. Another features neat all-capital lettering. And a third is marked by its messy script. But all bear the signature of the same campaign donor -- raising questions about how the checks were directed to state lawmakers and Gov. Pat McCrory and whether state law was violated.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 23:50:48

Brawley Fallout

Both Republican lawmakers named Brawley reacted Thursday to the public conflict one had Wednesday with the speaker of the House.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 23:50:11

Memorial Day

The House unanimously passed a resolution Thursday honoring the military service members from the state who died in 2012 campaigns and all those from past wars.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 21:51:45

Intern Program

Dozens of college state-government interns would be sent home this summer and a long-running teen mock legislative program would be shuttered in the Senate budget approved this week.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 21:51:02

Farm Bill

A measure championed by U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan adds $5 million in new funding to the 2013 farm bill to help root out crop insurance fraud.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 21:49:44

Film Incentives

A bill sponsored by two Wilmington-area Republicans to rewrite the state's film incentive package -- in a manner critics contend could result in lost film deals -- remains parked in a committee controlled by the House Republican leadership.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 21:49:15

Debt Relief Firm

World Law Group, one of the largest debt settlement firms in the country, has been ordered to stop collecting illegal upfront fees for its debt settlement services, the office of Attorney General Roy Cooper announced today.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 21:48:49

Legislative Basketball

A deep bench and powerful inside presence under the basket gave North Carolina lawmakers the advantage they needed to beat a squad of South Carolina legislators 35-27 in a charity game Wednesday.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 17:14:41

YOU DON’T SAY...

"The biggest problem is going to be establishing that a violation occurred, unless someone acknowledges making a mistake and accepting checks with the payee line blank."
Roger Knight, a campaign finance lawyer, on how the law aimed at prohibiting candidates from accepting partially blank checks can be difficult to apply in specific situations.
THE NEWS & OBSERVER, 5/24/13

the capitol view

When Republicans Look Like Democrats

For a lot of years, Republican politicians have trumpeted the notion that some services traditionally delivered by government can be better provided by public-private partnerships.

MODIFIED: 05/23/13 14:32:37

Responsible Financing Washed Away in the Roar of Waves

Responsible public financing must be a good thing unless the taxpayer money involved covers saving multi-million dollar beach homes.

MODIFIED: 05/20/13 16:40:30

For Politicians, Lots of Blame and Little Control Over Jobs

There may be no subject that politicians talk more about and have so little control over as jobs. There is good reason for it. No matter their relative impotence regarding the matter, people blame politicians for joblessness and bad economies.

MODIFIED: 05/20/13 13:33:34

Avoiding Real Debate on Jordan Lake

Three summers ago, in August, a rainstorm in central North Carolina sent perhaps thousands of fish from the southern end of Jordan Lake scurrying up the Haw River.

MODIFIED: 05/16/13 16:35:24

Hiding Behind Nonprofit Rules

For more than four years now, the North Carolina courts have been sorting through complex issues surrounding lobbying and public disclosure of clients.

MODIFIED: 05/13/13 15:12:20

INSIDER NOTEBOOK

CPA:

For a lot of years, Republican politicians have trumpeted the notion that some services traditionally delivered by government can be better provided by public-private partnerships.

OPINION:

An improving economy, lower gasoline prices and a clear weather forecast likely will put more North Carolina drivers on the road this Memorial Day weekend. But as a great television police sergeant warned in almost every “Hill Street Blues,” episode, “Let’s be careful out there.”

DOME:

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger disagrees with Gov. Pat McCrory's position on Dorothea Dix property, reports The News & Observer.

DOME:

The state Senate passed its $20.6 billion budget along party lines, moving the plan on to the House for consideration.

LEGIS:

Non-Revenue and Non-Appropriations Bills Crossover List now posted.

LEGIS:

After passing SB-402 - APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 2013 - on Third Reading, the Senate adjourned until 9 a.m. Friday, when it will conduct a skeletal session. The Senate will next meet for actual business at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28.

NEWS:

If an email sent to House members Thursday is any indication, the feud between former Finance Chair Robert Brawley and House Speaker Thom Tillis is far from over, says WRAL.

OPINION:

Applause, please, for the N.C. House Education Committee, which did what a legislative committee should do - on Tuesday, it listened to both sides of a hot issue and jumped to no conclusions.

NEWS:

Gov. Pat McCrory and Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane asked the General Assembly on Thursday to set the effective date of the Dorothea Dix lease to April 1, 2014, giving the city and state time to renegotiate an improved deal, reports WRAL.

OPINION:

Duke Power and Asheville Regional Airport both are coming out ahead with the use of coal ash from Duke’s Skyland power plant to help create new level land at the airport. There probably is no danger to the public, but the fill must be monitored constantly to be sure that is the case.

NEWS:

Gov. Pat McCrory declined to say Wednesday whether he would veto a state budget that includes provisions he disagrees with. The Republican governor told The Charlotte Observer he believes he can compromise with leaders of the GOP-controlled General Assembly.

NEWS:

The House Judiciary Committee plans to rewrite Senate-passed legislation Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to resolve the ongoing battle between city and state over the Dorothea Dix property in Raleigh, says WRAL.

DOME:

In a rare move, a leading Republican lawmaker resigned his committee chairmanship Wednesday, citing a litany of differences with House Speaker Thom Tillis and accusing him of a conflict of interest.

DOME:

Supporters of the Racial Justice Act mounted an offensive Wednesday in hopes of beating back this session’s attempt to wipe the Act off the books and resume executions.

NEWS:

The House Transportation Committee has again put off debating a bill that seeks alternatives to increasing ferry tolls and instead would allow for revenue-generating activities such as advertising on ferries.

NEWS:

Two years after fending off plans to shutter the North Carolina Museum of Forestry, the facility again faces the possibility of closure under a spending plan from the state Senate.

DOME:

The state Department of Health and Human Services' testing program for the new Medicaid billing system was seriously flawed, a report from State Auditor Beth Wood's office said. The state is preparing to launch a new, expensive, and long-delayed Medicaid billing software on July 1.

OPINION:

During the past two election campaigns, Republican legislative candidates have been clear about their intentions. They planned to downsize state government. The Senate’s proposed budget, released by Senate head Phil Berger Sunday, clearly lives up to that promise.

NEWS:

A bill that would give Davie County commissioners the option to take control of school properties is making its way through the State House of Representatives, with Rep. Julia Howard set to play a pivotal role.

NEWS:

There’s no money to compensate victims of a state-run eugenics program in the N.C. Senate’s proposed budget, but a local Senator opposed to the payments said that such payments may have more of a chance of passing this year than in the past.

BLOG:

Insurance giant MetLife plans to have 500 jobs at its new Charlotte retail headquarters by the end of the year, executive vice president Eric Steigerwalt told investors at a conference Tuesday.

DOME:

Dave Richard, executive director of the ARC of North Carolina, will be the next director of mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services at the state Department of Health and Human Services.

NEWS RELEASE:

Statement on proposed Senate budget from N.C. House Democratic Leader Larry Hall: “The Senate budget is another step in the wrong direction for North Carolina. The Republican budget fails to take meaningful action to create jobs while continuing devastating cuts to public education. Their plan places new and unnecessary limits on Medicaid eligibility in an effort to solve the problem North Carolina Republicans created when they turned down the Medicaid expansion. Both House and Senate Republicans are planning to pay for their budgets with tax plans that cut taxes for the wealthiest individuals and corporations while increasing the tax burden on the middle class. North Carolina deserves better. Rather than pushing budgets and tax plans that harm middle class families, we should focus on developing a budget and tax system that gives our citizens a fair shot at success.”

INSIDER:

Legislation to allow illegal immigrants to get special driver permits and authorize law enforcement to check the immigration status of anyone they stop under certain conditions is headed to the House floor as early as next week.

NEWS:

Gov. Pat McCrory said Tuesday he does not expect to roll out his own tax reform package this year. Tax reform was a key priority for Republicans running for office last year. The GOP-controlled state House and state Senate have already rolled out their own tax reform plans.

DOME:

Only one in 10 North Carolina voters support a sales tax on groceries, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey, and many appear uninterested in the House and Senate tax plans.

LEGIS:

The House Finance Committee has approved a PCS to HB-786 -- RECLAIM NC Act. The bill allows illegal immigrants to get special driver permits and allows law enforcement to make attempts to verify the immigration status of anyone stopped, detained or arrested if there is a suspicion that the person isn't in the country legally.

NEWS:

State funding for the High Point Market, the massive twice-annual furniture and furnishing extravaganza, is poised to survive the latest round of budget talks in Raleigh.

NEWS RELEASE:

Make sure any money you donate to help with tornado relief in Oklahoma goes to disaster victims rather than scam artists, Attorney General Roy Cooper said Tuesday.

OPINION:

The state Senate’s proposed budget introduced Monday morning contains $20 billion worth of spending recommendations. And, by the way, it calls for moving the State Bureau of Investigation from the Department of Justice to the Department of Public Safety.
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