…which includes Jones and Carteret counties. Northern coastal races include a trio of incumbents running for reelection. Three-term Democratic Rep. Howard Hunter is running against Republican Donald Kirkland, both of Ahoskie, in House District 5, which includes Pasquotank, Gates and Hertford counties. First-term Republican Rep. Bobby Hanig is running for…
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Disaster, Parks Funding In COVID-19 Relief Bill
The North Carolina Legislative Building. Photo: Mark Hibbs RALEIGH — The North Carolina General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a new coronavirus relief package that also includes hurricane, tornado and earthquake assistance. In a brief, two-day session, the legislature passed Thursday the 52-page bill by wide margins in both chambers, clearing the…
Cooper Lays Out Spending Plan; GOP Pans It
Gov. Roy Cooper talks with volunteer Anjelica Jackson Thursday while touring the Raleigh branch of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Pool photo: Ethan Hyman/News and Observer Copublished with Carolina Public Press RALEIGH — Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday a spending plan for state government and an…
Groups File to Block NEPA Rule Changes
A coalition of 17 environmental groups, including four from North Carolina, is seeking a preliminary injunction to stop the implementation of changes to federal rules sought by the Trump administration they charge will gut environmental review. Attorneys for Clean Air Carolina, MountainTrue, the Haw River Assembly and the North Carolina…
Lean Times Ahead for Parks, Conservation
Hammocks Beach State Park has yet to receive the bulk of $1,125,000 in funding for planned improvements under the Connect NC bonds program, but another round of funding is expected later this year. File photo With tighter budgets ahead and a pandemic shutdown affecting operations and cutting revenue, planners at…
Analysis: DEQ Braces for Budget Cuts
…governor calls for an across-the-board cut or a reduction in state appropriations, that will have different impacts across the department. One example, Smith said, is that the budget for the state’s Air Quality Division is based entirely on fee revenue, so in that division there’s no appropriation to cut. In…
Coastal Provisions Amid End-Of-Session Bills
…particularly in cash-strapped communities hit by repeated flooding. “This program expansion comes at a time when flood-prone communities across the state need increased assistance, especially those communities that have been marginalized and disadvantaged for too long,” McDow said. The flood-control provision was tacked onto the end of legislation to address…
Legislature Passes Regulatory, Funding Bills
N.C. Legislative Building, Raleigh. After a slow-moving, late-night session that stretched from 10 a.m. Thursday to 3 a.m. Friday, the North Carolina General Assembly adjourned with plans to come back in early September. The legislative marathon included lengthy deliberations over bills that challenged Gov. Roy Cooper’s coronavirus response, last-minute fixes…
Bill to Restart Passenger Ferry Runs Approved
People board the Ocracoke Express, a leased passenger ferry that provided service between Hatteras and Ocracoke during 2019. Photo: NCDOT This story was updated June 25. RALEIGH — Legislation to restart passenger ferry service for the Hatteras-Ocracoke crossing has cleared the North Carolina General Assembly and been presented for Gov….
Plenty Of Obstacles On Path to State Budget
…fiscal year. Estimates of the hole blown in the state budget range between $4 and $6 billion. “I’m not sure how to fill the hole until I know how big the hole is,” McGrady said. A tax increase, he added, is not an option given the unemployment rate. Across the…
New Bills Address Reforms, Virus Response
Gantry cranes at the North Carolina Port of Morehead City. Photo: State Ports Authority RALEIGH — Although COVID-19 response is expected to continue to dominate the agenda of this year’s North Carolina General Assembly session, legislators are pressing ahead with changes developed well before the pandemic took hold. Over the…
State COVID-19 Response Bills Become Law
…for school requirements for this year and planning requirements for next year. It sets the school opening date at Aug. 17. The legislation allows agencies across state government to extend due dates and includes a five-month extension for all Division of Motor Vehicle-issued credentials. It also fixes an error in…