North Carolina House Republicans push for constitutional amendment to ban non-citizens from voting
Lynn Bonner
Republican lawmakers in the state House of Representatives are moving to put a measure on the November ballot that would add a ban on non-citizens being able to vote in the state constitution, even though voting for non-citizens is already illegal.
Asking voters to add a clause to the Constitution banning foreigners from voting could boost turnout among voters for whom illegal voting is a top concern and help Republican candidates highlight southern border crossings. [Read more...]
Republican campaign finance bill surprise leads Democratic senators to walk out
Rob Schofield and Ahmed Jallow
In a surprise move that stunned observers on the sidelines of the Statehouse, Republican lawmakers unveiled a bill on Thursday that would make sweeping changes to the state's campaign finance laws. As the bill was quickly put to a vote, all 20 Senate Democrats walked out of the chamber in protest. Republicans who remained on the Senate floor passed the bill 28-0. The House is scheduled to take up the bill next week.
The proposed changes (see box below), attached to a conference committee report on controversial and highly debated bills that would create penalties for illegal protests and mask wearing, would make it easier for big donors to provide large amounts of money to North Carolina political candidates relatively anonymously.[Read more…]
DMV and contractors blame each other for two-month delay in issuing driver's licenses
Lynn Bonner
The two rivals sat side by side at a hearing Thursday in North Carolina as House lawmakers argued to understand the roots of a driver's license backlog that is delaying the issuance of permanent identification cards to hundreds of thousands of residents.
DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin said what was originally a problem with 2,150 licenses ballooned to a backlog of 354,697, with customers having to wait up to eight weeks for permanent licenses. Goodwin said IDEMIA, the state's longtime contractor, was to blame for a lack of communication about the backlog and the growing problem. An IDEMIA vice president said the DMV should have followed the company's recommendations for a quicker resolution. [Read more...]
North Carolina bill to clarify school suspensions gets bipartisan support for the first time
Clayton Henkel
Tens of thousands of students are suspended from school every year. The bill would expand due process rights.
Leah McGehee said when her son was suspended from Central Davidson High School, the suspension lasted less than 10 days, so she couldn't appeal it.
Maggie said her 16-year-old son asked for an clarification when his teacher used the word alien in class, simply asking if it meant “space people or illegal immigrants who need green cards.”
The student was suspended for three days for allegedly making racist comments that disrupted class.[Read more…]
The effort to keep North Carolina's autopsy reports secret has ended for now.
Lynn Bonner
Republican senators have backed away from an immediate plan to block the public and family members from accessing autopsy reports related to criminal cases.
Last month, Sen. Danny Britt, a Robeson County Republican, introduced a proposal to withhold autopsy reports in criminal cases until the cases are resolved. [Read more…]
Use of toxic algaecide on Lake Mattamuskeet put on hold after federal court hearing
Lisa Sorg
Before U.S. Department of Justice lawyer Young Kang could finish his last name, Judge Terence Boyle interrupted him.
“Why are you doing this?” Boyle, who was appointed to the federal judgeship by President Reagan in 1984, yelled at Kang. “This is extreme tactics.” [Read more…]
Homeless advocates anxiously await U.S. Supreme Court decision
Greg Childress
LaTonya Agard, executive director of the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness, is anxiously awaiting the U.S. Supreme Court's decision. Grants Pass vs. JohnsonAn Oregon court case challenges a city ordinance that bans homeless people from sleeping in public.
A negative ruling in the case, which is expected to be decided by the end of the month, could have serious implications for the roughly 10,000 people experiencing homelessness in North Carolina, Agard said this week at a statewide conference where advocates gathered to discuss issues affecting people experiencing homelessness. [Read more.…]
Bonus reading: Veteran journalist and housing advocate: The narrative on homelessness must change
North Carolina abortion pill restrictions struck down by federal judge
By Elisha Brown
A federal judge on Monday blocked part of North Carolina's medication abortion law.
According to the ruling by U.S. District Judge Katherine Eagles, any health care provider or licensed pharmacist, not just doctors, can prescribe the abortion pill, and patients can take mifepristone at home, eliminating the need for three in-person visits to a doctor.[Read more...]
North Carolina's rapidly growing gambling crisis (Commentary)
Rob Scofield
At 8 a.m. on a Tuesday, the physical therapy facility was buzzing with activity. In a large, bright room, dozens of patients, most of them elderly and trying to stave off the ravages of time, stretched awkwardly on tables or worked tirelessly on the exercise machines and various props. Busy physical therapists and assistants encouraged patients or tapped away on their laptops.
It was a friendly, positive environment with relatively little privacy and occasional overlapping conversations. [Read more…]
