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BURLINGTON TIMES NEWS: Education board approves new reading and writingguidelines
State-approved guidelines that teachers will begin using in 2018 aim tohelp public-school students learn to read, write and interpret literature.
ASHEVILLE CITIZEN TIMES: Will teaching fellows make a comeback?
Doug Cutshall isn’t sure he could have afforded college without the N.C.Teaching Fellows Program.
WRAL-NEWS: NC superintendent announces reading program, new earlylearning position
North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson unveiled astatewide reading initiative Monday called NC Reads, which will focus ongiving young students more access to books, even during the summer.
Election Reform
BURLINGTON TIMES NEWS: House Oks elections, ethics rewrite; Cooperthreatens veto
The state House voted along party lines Thursday to retool a Republican lawstruck down by a court that combined elections and ethics duties into oneboard, which its chief proponent says he hopes would settle the matterwithout legal appeals.
Energy & the Environment
DURHAM HERALD SUN: House approves latest deregulation bill
Easing regulations on the environment, businesses and government is onceagain the intent of this year’s deregulation bill in the General Assembly,which the state House tentatively approved on Wednesday evening.
Health Care
NEWS & OBSERVER: NC House Republicans file bill to expand Medicaid
Four Republicans in the state House have filed a bill to extend Medicaidhealth-insurance coverage to more adults, and to charge hospitals to helppay for it.
U.S. Justice Department officials have asked a federal judge to dismiss thelawsuit filed by the legislative leaders who challenged Gov. Roy Cooper’sattempt to expand Medicaid.
A bipartisan group of House members, led by Rep. Donny Lambeth, are testingthe winds of socioeconomic change in North Carolina with a bill that wouldraise the smoking and vaping age to 21.
In the Courts
GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD: Federal judge rules Greensbororedistricting by NC GA in unconstitutional
When voters in Greensboro consider City Council candidates this fall, theywill do so with the same district makeup they used in 2015.
Justice & Public Safety
FOX-8 NEWS: Bill would require NC officers to wear body cameras, changepolicies
A bill introduced Wednesday in Raleigh would require police officers andsheriff’s deputies in larger counties to wear body cameras to recordtraffic stops and their other public encounters.
NEWS & OBSERVER: Lawmakers look to fast-track overhaul of NC childwelfare system
Sponsors of a bill filed to overhaul the state’s child welfare system saythey hope to address a “child welfare crisis” and tackle a number ofproblems in the state’s foster care system.
WRAL-NEWS: Domestic violence homicides could be tried as first-degreemurder cases under bill
When someone is killed by a current or former spouse or partner, thesuspect is often charged with second-degree murder.
Leadership Changes
SPECTRUM NEWS: Cooper rounds out cabinet with Revenue, IT Secretaries
Gov. Roy Cooper has rounded out his Cabinet by elevating two stategovernment executives to oversee tax collections and informationtechnology.
WILKES JOURNAL PATRIOT: New UNC board members elected
The UNC Board of Governors will have eight new members and four incumbentsfor 12 seats, following an election by the legislature that saw moreturnover than usual.
Taxes & Revenue
WRAL-NEWS: Tax compliance flap shakes up craft beer debate
Comments by the Department of Revenue’s lead auditor took lawmakers bysurprise and derailed a bill that would add new reporting requirements forsmall breweries during a meeting of the House Finance Committee Thursdaymorning.
WFAE-NEWS: NC Senate passes tax cut bill with catchy name
On Wednesday the North Carolina Senate passed a tax cut bill with a catchyname.
Transportation
DURHAM HERALD SUN: Durham-Orange light-rail costs could delayDurham-Wake commuter rail
The rising costs of the Durham-Orange light rail project may delay plansfor a 37-mile commuter-rail line connecting Wake and Durham counties.
WRAL NEWS: Deaf driver’s license bill passes NC House
N.C. House lawmakers voted Thursday to approve a new system to help lawenforcement identify people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
WILMINGTON STAR NEWS: Bill would make hands-free calling the law for NCmotorists
Motorists would have to use hands-free devices for cell phones whiledriving under a bill sponsored by N.C. Sen. Michael Lee, R-New Hanover.