NC Politics in the News

September 8, 2015

Pardon Our Dust

We recently launched this new site and are still in the process of updating some of our archived content. Some details of this article may be incomplete, links may be broken, and other elements may not display properly yet. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Education

NEWS & OBSERVER: Driver’s ed was improving until state funds were cut off
When state funding for driver’s education ran out at the end of June, it was as if our grumpy legislators had hit the brakes in the middle of a noisyintersection, slammed the transmission into “park” and walked away – with the engine still running.

ABC 11: North Carolina public schools reveal student, school performance data
North Carolina public school leaders released data Wednesday that indicates how well students are learning and educators are teaching.

NEWS & OBSERVER: Federal education grant results mixed
North Carolina’s high school graduation rate increased more than 9 percentage points since the state won a $400 million federal education grant in 2010,and the gap between white and minority students earning diplomas narrowed from nearly 14 percentage points to 7.

Elections

NEWS & RECORD: N.C. may have single March primary election for all races
North Carolina legislators are considering whether to move all primary elections next year to March instead of just the presidential primaries.

Energy & Environment

JONES & BLOUNT: State official: Real estate in Eastern N.C. will lose value under new EPA water regulations
North Carolina’s chief environmental regulator, Donald van der Vaart, said Wednesday that virtually all real estate in North Carolina east of Interstate 95would lose value under the Environmental Protection Agency’s new water regulation plan.

WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL: Environment poised for more notice in N. Carolina elections
The environment usually registers hardly a blip in polls asking North Carolina likely voters to share top concerns.

Legislative & Personnel Changes

FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER: Billy Richardson sworn in at state House
Fayetteville lawyer William O. “Billy” Richardson was sworn in to the state House of Representatives shortly after noon on Tuesday.

HICKORY DAILY RECORD: Ex-N. Carolina GOP executive director joins Hudson’s office
The most recent executive director of the North Carolina Republican Party has a new job as U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson’s chief of staff.

Public Safety

WRAL: House votes to criminalize most GPS tracking
State House lawmakers voted Wednesday to ban the use of GPS devices to track people in most cases.

State Budget

ABC 11: North Carolina lawmakers work through holiday on budget
Lawmakers have been working this Labor Day weekend to hammer out a state budget that’s already two months overdue and two weeks away from their September18 extended deadline.

WRAL: Jetties arise as budget issue
North Carolina would allow more terminal groins – jetties that protect barrier islands from erosion – if state senators get their way in the state budget.

CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: McCrory: Progress on budget, Medicaid, bonds
Gov. Pat McCrory said Tuesday he supports providing schools with sufficient funding to hire teacher assistants and letting them decide how to use themoney.

WRAL: Five ‘must dos’ on legislature’s agenda
​The last time the General Assembly’s regular session ran this late in the summer, it was because lawmakers needed the time to broker votes to create thestate lottery.


CONTACT US

HarryKaplan
Senior Vice President
hkaplan@mwcllc.com 

JeffBarnhart
Senior Vice President
jbarnhart@mwcllc.com 

Franklin Freeman
Senior Vice President
ffreeman@mwcllc.com 

Bo Heath
Senior Vice President
dbheath@mwcllc.com 

John Merritt
Senior Vice President
jmerritt@mwcllc.com 

JohnnyTillett
Senior Vice President
jtillett@mwcllc.com 

Kerri Burke
Vice President
kburke@mwcllc.com 

JillianTotman
Assistant Vice President
jtotman@mwcllc.com 

Sarah Wolfe
Assistant Vice President
swolfe@mwcllc.com 

Philip Barefoot
Research Assistant
pbarefoot@mwcllc.com