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Economic Development
WRAL-NEWS: Proposal would limit state economic incentives to Trianglebusinesses
A bill advancing in the Senate would redirect some state businessrecruitment incentives away from the Triangle to help boost economicdevelopment in poorer areas of the state.
WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL: NC unemployment rate drops to 4.9 percent inMarch
State officials say North Carolina’s seasonally adjusted unemployment ratedropped to 4.9 percent in March, a drop from 5.1 percent in the priormonth.
Education
NEWS & OBSERVER: Optimism rises that NC lawmakers may move to saveschool arts, PE programs
School advocacy groups were hopeful Friday that the Senate would soon acton a bill that school districts say is needed to prevent thousands ofpotential teacher layoffs and cuts in art, music and physical educationclasses in North Carolina elementary schools.
ASHEVILLE CITIZEN TIMES: NC’s long summer vacations are beingchallenged
For more than a dozen years, North Carolina has mandated the beginning andend of summer vacation for public schools.
Employment Law
NEWS & OBSERVER: Should ‘right to work’ be added to NCconstitution? Bill clears NC House committee
North Carolina is already a “right to work” state that has banned mandatoryunion dues since 1947, but N.C. House Republicans want to have a voterreferendum on adding the policy to the state constitution.
Governor’s Vetoes
WRAL-NEWS: Cooper vetoes court, elections bills
Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday issued the second and third vetoes of hisadministration, rejecting bills that would cut the size of the state Courtof Appeals and would combine the state boards that oversee elections andethics complaints.
Justice & Public Safety
SALISBURY POST: Warren proposes limited ID cards for undocumentedimmigrants
Undocumented immigrants could obtain state-issued identification under abill introduced last week by state Rep. Harry Warren, R-Rowan.
Leadership Changes
SAMPSON INDEPENDENT: Bell will not seek 10th term
Just a few months into his ninth term in the N.C. House of Representatives,Dr. Larry M. Bell has announced that he will not seek a 10th, saying it wastime for a younger person to bring their insight and leadership to theLegislature.
GREENVILLE DAILY REFLECTOR: Bill to reform DSS bears watching,officials say
A complete revamp of the state’s social services system is proposed inlegislation touting the reformation of the state’s child welfare system.
Agriculture & Natural Resources
WRAL-NEWS: Wastewater spray bill moves forward
House leaders are pushing ahead with a proposal to require stateenvironmental regulators to allow the disposal of landfill wastewater andfluids that leak out by spraying it into the air over their propertywithout a permit.
OUTER BANKS VOICE: Cook tacks bag ban repeal onto environmental regsreform bill
The latest attempt to roll back North Carolina’s plastic bag ban for OuterBanks communities in Dare, Currituck and Hyde Counties has been attached toSenate Bill 434, an omnibus environmental laws bill.
WRAL-NEWS: Effort to freeze NC’s renewable energy requirements renewed
Conservative lawmakers are making another run at ending state subsidies torenewable energy firms by freezing requirements that utilities purchasesome of their energy from solar farms, wind farms and other producers ofrenewable energy.
Regulatory Reform
WRAL-NEWS: Brewery bill taps out of committee
A push to let breweries to self-distribute more beer and give them morepower in distribution contracts has gone flat after organized oppositionfrom wholesalers and distributors.
Taxes & Revenue
NEWS & OBSERVER: Budget hole projected If $1 billion tax-cut planpasses NC legislature
The state Senate’s proposal to cut $1 billion in taxes over the next twoyears will lead to budget shortfalls starting in the 2018-19 fiscal year,according to an analysis produced by the General Assembly’s Fiscal ResearchDivision.
Transportation
WCII-NEWS: Committee rejects bills on highway speeds and towingvehicles
North Carolina lawmakers have rejected a pair of driving bills — oneinvolving highway speeds and the other directing vehicles of motoristscited for driving without a license be towed away.