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Education
WRAL-NEWS: State board chairman calls for changes to Achievement SchoolDistrict law
State Board of Education Chairman Bill Cobey would like to see “some tweaksin the legislation” before the board chooses which low-performing schoolswill be included in the state’s new Achievement School District, he toldWRAL News last week.
Environment & Natural Resources
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: NC legislation’s ‘a perfect opportunity to ruinLake Norman’
Sen. Jeff Tarte was one of only two Republicans to vote on April 24 againsta Senate bill that would eliminate the 50-foot shoreline buffer thatprotects the Catawba River and its lakes from runoff and stream bankerosion.
ELIZABETH CITY DAILY ADVANCE: Senate budget includes wind energy halt
The N.C. Senate’s proposed state budget includes a moratorium on stateapproval of any new wind energy projects that is expected to meet stiffopposition in the state House.
WITN-NEWS: 26 counties will no longer require emissions testing
North Carolina environmental officials say the state’s air has become cleanenough that only 22 of its 100 counties still have to conduct vehicleemissions testing.
Justice & Public Safety
WNCN-NEWS: NC House bill seeks human trafficking education, servicefunds
North Carolina has laws punishing human traffickers, but some House memberssay more must be done to prevent young women from entering the forced sextrade and help those rescued from it get their lives back on track.
WRAL-NEWS: ‘Raise the age’ gathers steam
As Rep. Chuck McGrady introduced House Bill 280 to the House AppropriationsCommittee on Thursday morning, he noted that not only had a majority of thecommittee signed on as co-sponsors, but that Senate leaders had also takenthe unusual step of including a House policy bill in their budget proposal,albeit with some changes.
Local Government
ASHEVILLE CITIZEN TIMES: Redistricting: Asheville mayor, GOP lawmakersvs. Republican leadership
An effort to fundamentally change how the state draws political lines hascreated unusual allies.
Senate Budget Proposal
ASHEBORO COURIER TRIBUNE: Senate Oks budget; House’s turn next
The Senate voted 32-15 early Friday along party lines to approve Republicanleaders’ budget proposal for the coming fiscal year.
WBTV-NEWS: Highlights of North Carolina state Senate’s budget bill
Highlights of the $22.9 billion budget for North Carolina state governmentfor the 2017-18 fiscal year tentatively approved Thursday by the stateSenate.
NEWS & OBSERVER: Here’s how the NC Senate budget compares with Gov.Roy Cooper’s proposal
N.C. Senate Republicans have major disagreements with Gov. Roy Cooper onhow much to spend in next year’s budget and whether to cut taxes. Cooperreleased his budget proposal in early March and touted its plans forteacher raises, Medicaid expansion and other major projects.
Transportation
North Carolina’s population growth is taking on the state’s roads, a costthat current state funding is not meeting, a national transportationlobbying group said Thursday.
Veto Overridden
NEWS & OBSERVER: NC hog farms win legal protections; Senateoverrides Cooper’s veto
North Carolina’s hog farms won an extra measure of protections fromlawsuits Thursday, after the state Senate overrode a veto by Gov. RoyCooper, who had sought to preserve the right of property owners to suefarmers over quality-of-life issues.