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Adjournment
WILSON TIMES: State lawmakers put long session on pause
When the legislature adjourns its “long session” in odd-numbered years,lawmakers typically stay home until the “short session” begins thefollowing spring.
WRAL-NEWS: Legislative session filled with hits, misses
State lawmakers left Raleigh early Friday after a 93-day legislativesession in which they fulfilled their constitutional obligation to pass abudget for the coming year and accomplished several other goals on theRepublican majority’s agenda.
Agriculture & Natural Resources
NEWS & OBSERVER: Wind moratorium, leachate, bags: NC GeneralAssembly 2017
One of the 2017 legislative session’s more vivid bills dealt with what oneenvironmentalist attorney dubbed “garbage juice in a snowblower.
Budget Veto Overridden
WITN-NEWS: Lawmakers finish starte budget veto override
The Republican-controlled General Assembly has made good on its promise tooverride Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the two-year state budget.
Constitutional Convention
NEWS & OBSERVER: NC legislature rejects effort to joinconstitutional convention movement
In a protracted argument mostly among Republicans, the state House onThursday narrowly voted against requesting a national convention to makechanges to the U.S. Constitution.
Economic Development
NEWS & OBSERVER: 8,000 jobs? NC ‘on the cusp’ of landing majorproject, House speaker says
More than 8,000 new jobs could be lured to North Carolina under a newcorporate incentive program included in the state budget, House Speaker TimMoore said Thursday.
WNCT-NEWS: Judges face hard task in North Carolina school powerstruggle
Judges deciding a dispute over how North Carolina’s schools are run saidThursday that they face a difficult task in ruling on the power balancebetween legislators, the state school board and the statewidesuperintendent.
Education
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: NC lawmakers will study how to break up largeschool districts
North Carolina lawmakers will study how to break up the state’s largeschool districts after turning down a proposal to also look at how to mergesmall school systems.
NEWS & OBSERVER: Teaching Fellows, Pre-K, class size: NC GeneralAssembly 2017
North Carolina will pay college tuition costs for students who commit toteaching science, technology, engineering, math or special education withinthe state. The N.C. General Assembly eliminated a similar program in 2011.
Elections & Redistricting
NORTH STATE JOURNAL: General Assembly names redistricting committeeahead of lower court order
Just before midnight Wednesday, leadership at the North Carolina GeneralAssembly named the lawmakers who will be instrumental in redraftinglegislative voting district lines previously thrown out by a federal courtfor what they deemed were racially gerrymandered maps.
NEWS & OBSERVER: Judicial maps won’t be redrawn this session
The bill to redraw judicial districts in North Carolina will not advancethis session, the legislation’s sponsor said Tuesday. Rep. Justin Burr,R-Stanly, told The News & Observer that House Bill 717 will be taken upwhen the General Assembly returns in a few months.
A bill to fill most seats on Asheville City Council through districtelections became law Thursday after the House amended it to allow councilto bypass a citizen commission when drawing district lines.
Justice & Public Safety
NEWS & OBSERVER: Guns, opioids, left lane drivers: NC GeneralAssembly 2017
The state Senate took no action on a late-session surprise bill proposed toessentially do away with concealed handgun permits.
WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL: Bill to expand ‘revenge pron’ law gets finallegislative OK
The General Assembly has given final approval to expand North Carolina’s”revenge porn” law to cases beyond those where the people already hadrelationships.
Regulatory Reform
NEWS & OBSERVER: Sunday hunting, nonprofit gambling bills pass NClegislature
Two controversial bills that loosen rules for Sunday hunting and nonprofit”game night” events cleared the legislature late Thursday night and areheading to the governor’s desk.
WILMINGTON STR NEWS: NC legislators approve zip line bill
A bill that would require operators of aerial activities like zip lines tocarry liability insurance has unanimously passed the N.C. General Assembly.
WRAL-NEWS: House takes down billboard rules changes
In a sudden defeat for a leading House member, the chamber on Mondaydefeated a proposal to loosen restrictions on billboards.
Resignation & Impeachment Investigation
GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD: As expected, Brock leaves North CarolinaSenate for new job
A North Carolina state senator has resigned because he’s joining a statecommission that hears unemployment insurance benefit claim appeals.
WRAL-NEWS: House GOP seeks to impeach secretary of state
North Carolina legislative Republicans are taking aim once again atDemocrats in the executive branch of state government.
Taxes
NEWS & OBSERVER: How your taxes will change after the legislature’slatest session
Starting in 2019, thousands of North Carolinians will see lower stateincome tax bills. The standard deduction level will rise for both singleand married filers, and the income tax rate will drop.
Transportation
NEWS & OBSERVER: Cameras could catch drivers passing school buses –and lead to a hefty fine
People who illegally pass a stopped school bus could get a ticket in themail under a new camera system, an option schools will have under a billheaded to Gov. Roy Cooper.
WRAL-NEWS: North Carolina’s rural roads among deadlies tin country,study says
Rural roadways in North Carolina follow a national trend of being moredeadly than interstate highways, a recent study shows.
WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL: Bill given final OK adds police stop behavior todriver ed
The General Assembly has given its final approval to legislation requiringNorth Carolina’s driver license handbooks and driver’s education curriculumin high school to teach new motorists how to act when stopped by police.