Cooper calls for education reform, “common ground” in first State of the State address

North Carolina Gov. Roy A. Cooper (D-Nash) rebuked a general lack of legislative cooperation by Republican lawmakers during his first State of the State address, March 13. As the newly-elected governor, Cooper laid out his long-term vision for a smarter, more sustainable Tarheel state. In an attempt to promote bipartisan cooperation among the state’s General […]

December surprises: Two special sessions down, one to go

Content shared from Carolina Public Press. Reporter Kirk Ross.  The potential repeal of HB2 is the latest in a string of end-of-year moves by the North Carolina General Assembly, as the state transitions rapidly into divided government for the first time in four years. Gov. Pat McCrory issued a proclamation Monday afternoon calling the legislature […]

Governor’s race hangs in the balance for McCrory in wake of scandals

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has a lot of work to do in the next 28 days if he hopes to keep his job.  Roy Cooper, McCrory’s Democratic competitor, currently has a six-point lead over McCrory in the election, according a Bloomberg Politics poll. One of the things helping Cooper in his campaign is his unwillingness […]

HB2 creates “chilling effect” on higher education

Western Carolina University’s Chancellor, David Belcher, said North Carolina law House Bill 2 (HB2) has caused potential students to withdraw their applications, and some donors refuse to give money as long as the law is active. HB2 says people must use public restrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities designated for the biological sex on their birth certificate. The legislature […]

Stop Legislating Hate, North Carolina!

This post was previously published on CandidCeillie, Ceillie Simkiss’s personal blog. I am disappointed and disgusted with my state this week. For those of you who don’t know, North Carolina’s General Assembly wasted $42,000 yesterday calling a special session in order to pass an “anti-discrimination bill” that gives homophobes and transphobes the ability to be […]