After much debate, public scrutiny, and controversy, the General Assembly passed redistricting maps for the N.C. House and Senate, and U.S. Congress. The Senate on Thursday, Nov. 4, voted 25-21 for the House map. The House voted 65-49 to approve the map for the Senate, and also 65-49 for the congressional map, which includes a...
Is the GOP’s electoral wipeout of Democratic candidates in Virginia a harbinger of things to come in North Carolina next year? That’s the question running through political pundits’ minds the day after Republicans made a clean sweep of races for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general in the commonwealth, in addition to standing poised to...
As the N.C. House passed its new election maps Tuesday, Nov. 2, the Senate followed suit Wednesday, Nov. 3, passing new maps with a vote along party lines, 26-19. Sen. Ralph Hise, R-McDowell, one of three co-chairs of the Senate Redistricting Committee, said lawmakers didn’t use racial or election data as part of the criteria...
The N.C. House passed its district map proposal during evening sessions Tuesday, Nov. 2. The Senate is expected to vote on the N.C. House district map on Thursday. Redistricting maps do not go before Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, driving more pressure on the legislative process by opposition groups. The maps were drawn after more than...
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson says he’s more determined than ever to keep fighting for what he believes is right. Robinson, a Republican, spoke Friday, Oct. 29, during a “Stand Up for America” rally on Halifax Mall in downtown Raleigh. According to the website for the event, hosted by Return America from Wallburg in Davidson County,...
Parents in North Carolina report feeling increasingly concerned about the public schools’ efforts to usurp their parental authority on topics such as mask and COVID-19 vaccine mandates to the teaching of controversial race and gender theories. The debate heated up over the summer as lawmakers in the General Assembly passed an anti-indoctrination bill — House Bill 324, Ensuring...
At a time when North Carolina is ranked as one of the most expensive states for health care in the nation, many nonprofit hospitals are reaping huge profits while providing little in the way of charity care. That’s according to a report by the N.C. State Health Plan and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public...
Of the 25 active members of Gov. Roy Cooper’s Teacher Advisory Committee, only one is a registered Republican, a review of voter registration records by Carolina Journal shows. The ratios bring into question how adequately the advisory committee represents the diverse viewpoints of teachers from across North Carolina. Cooper, a Democrat, created the committee through...
North Carolina’s self-described teachers’ union still has clout with many Democratic lawmakers in the legislature, but its influence — and popularity — with teachers and everyday North Carolinians appears to be waning. Over the past decade, the N.C. Association of Educators’ membership has dropped nearly 59%, and its revenue cut in half — from $11...
Not enough time. That was a consistent theme Monday, Oct. 25, as residents shared with lawmakers their thoughts on the proposed election maps, drawn after the results of the 2020 census. About 30 people spoke at the hearing in Raleigh, and the general consensus revolved around the lack of time to prepare for the hearings....
A Wake County principal has denied a mask exemption request for a kindergartener with disabilities, according to a recorded phone call released by the anonymous parent. The child involved in the case had an exemption from a doctor for a face mask due to a sensory processing disorder. Wearing a mask causes the student anxiety...
