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Your weekly North Carolina political news report.
Education
WRAL NEWS: State superintendent tells top staff to report only to him, not state board
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson sent a letter July 2 to top leaders at the State Department of Public Instruction telling them that they now report only to him. The leaders were in positions called dual-report positions, meaning they reported both to the Superintendent and to the State Board of Education.
Economic Development
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: North Carolina companies continued adding jobs in June, pressing the state’s unemployment rate down to 4.2 percent
North Carolina companies continued adding jobs in June, pressing the state’s unemployment rate down to 4.2 percent.
Elections
NEWS & OBSERVER: NC Democrats want to break GOP legislative supermajority. GOP says not so fast.
Hundreds of Democratic Party volunteers are knocking on doors across the state this weekend in an effort to build momentum this fall to loosen Republican control of North Carolina’s government.
WRAL NEWS: Investor gives another $1.4M to N Carolina political groups
The largest donor in North Carolina state politics last year kept giving substantially during the first half of 2018.
Environment
CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL: How North Carolina is pushing beyond solar to become a leader in clean energy
A new Environment America report shows North Carolina establishing itself as a clean energy leader beyond its well-established place high in national rankings for solar energy.
GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD: EPA changes won’t water down North Carolina coal ash law
Experts say recent changes that soften federal regulations governing coal ash disposal will not have any effect on the scope or pace of efforts to eliminate storage basins for the waste product in North Carolina.
General Government
WRAL NEWS: General Assembly may hold surprise session
The General Assembly may come back into session in the coming days to write short summaries of the proposed constitutional amendments that will be before voters this November.
WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL: Soy “milk” makers may need to find alternative description
Soy and almond drinks that bill themselves as “milk” may need to consider alternative language after a top regulator suggested the agency may start cracking down on use of the term.
Healthcare
DURHAM HERALD SUN: Get your health insurance from the NC state health plan? Here’s some good news.
State employees won’t have to pay anything extra for health insurance next year.
National Politics
NEW YORK TIMES: Republicans Choose Charlotte for Their 2020 Convention
The 2020 Republican National Convention will be held in Charlotte, N.C., the party announced on Friday.
In the Courts
THE TIMES NEWS: Law offers less wait time for those seeking expungement of records
Two laws recently passed by the N.C. General Assembly are designed to give people with a criminal history a better chance at finding a job and housing.
Justice & Public Safety
WRAL NEWS: White supremacist gangs growing in NC, officials say
Gang activity overall is on the rise in North Carolina, and the sharpest increase is among white supremacist groups, law enforcement officials said Friday.