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By Mark Binker

May 11, 2009

Washington Watch: Hagan introduces measure to help black farmers

Sen. Kay Hagan was the lead Democratic co-sponsor of a measure designed to help African American farmers recoup funds awarded in discrimination cases against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Read More

May 7, 2009

Senate bill favors a limited ban of smoking

RALEIGH — Senators have given tentative approval to a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, a weakened version of what had been a much more sweeping bill.The 26-18 vote must be confirmed Monday before the measure is sent back to the House, where r... Read More

May 6, 2009

House committee assigns broadband bill to study

A controversial bill that would have limited how and when local governments can help provide broadband has been sent to a study committee. The move by the House Public Utilities Committee essentially delays any legislative action on the bill until at leas... Read More

Senate panel may weaken smoking ban

RALEIGH — Supporters of a proposed workplace smoking ban have pulled the bill from consideration in the Senate, sending it back to a committee where there are plans to weaken the measure. Sen. William Purcell, chairman of the Senate’s Health C... Read More

May 5, 2009

Senators OK anti-bullying bill on first vote

RALEIGH — The Senate gave tentative approval Tuesday to a bill that sets anti-bullying policy for state school systems but angers some social conservatives. The Senate vote was 25-22, but the members must vote again today to send the bill to the Hou... Read More

May 4, 2009

Rail bill angers some landowners

RALEIGH — Railroad company representatives say a bill pending in the state House is “forward-looking,” ensuring that high-speed trains and new local transit lines can be built throughout the state. Robert McIntosh, who owns Universal Sci... Read More

May 1, 2009

Allred charged with speeding at 102 mph

The Highway Patrol on Friday issued Rep. Cary Allred a citation for driving 102 mph in a 65 mph zone, four days after he was pulled over in connection with the first of several incidents sparking a legislative inquiry. Allred, a Burlington Republica... Read More

Speaker orders investigation of Allred

RALEIGH — Rep. Cary Allred faces a “preliminary inquiry” ordered by House Speaker Joe Hackney, who said Thursday he wants to know more about reports the Burlington lawmaker embraced a teenage page and drank alcohol before driving to sess... Read More

April 30, 2009

Foxx says Shepard murder was not a hate crime

Comments by Rep. Virginia Foxx while debating a measure related to federal hate-crimes legislation Wednesday have angered members of the gay community. Foxx referenced the October 1998 killing of Matthew Shepard, a University of Wyoming student who witnes... Read More

April 29, 2009

Smoking ban passes key Senate committee

RALEIGH — A key Senate committee passed a workplace smoking ban Wednesday, closing loopholes that the House had added in its consideration of the bill. Smoking would be banned in most public places, including bars and restaurants, under the bill. It... Read More

Perdue mandates furlough for state workers

RALEIGH — Gov. Bev Perdue called the 10-hour furloughs for state workers that she announced Tuesday “distasteful.” They could be just a taste of things to come. North Carolina’s economy has slowed along with the rest of the country... Read More

Jordan Lake cleanup plan revised

RALEIGH — The latest draft of rules designed to clean up pollution running from Greensboro and other Triad cities into Jordan Lake pleases neither environmental advocates nor those representing builders and municipal officials. The product of closed... Read More

April 28, 2009

Revisions to Jordan Lake rules make cities, environmentalists unhappy

Allies differ over anti-predatory bill

RALEIGH — Attorney General Roy Cooper is unhappy with pending federal legislation that in many respects mimics North Carolina’s predatory lending law, which he helped craft and now enforces. Making his objections all the more awkward is the fa... Read More

Have your say on the state budget

The House Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing on the state budget tonight. Residents can attend in Raleigh or at selected community colleges across the state. Such hearings are rare. This one comes as lawmakers try to decide how to bridge a multi... Read More

April 27, 2009

Group blasts Holliman on health plan

RALEIGH — Rep. Hugh Holliman’s role in rewriting the state’s health plan makes him “part of the problem,” according to an employee group running radio ads criticizing the Lexington Democrat. The two-year, $675-million bailou... Read More

Coal ash regulation bill faces opposition

RALEIGH — An effort to more tightly regulate material left over from burning coal to create power faces stiff opposition in the General Assembly, despite a massive December coal ash spill in Tennessee. Coal ash can either be wet and stored in ponds... Read More

Inside Scoop: Who's on first ... early bids for council

There’s been a lot of pre-election season hemming and hawing lately. It’s to be expected, since this year’s City Council filings don’t begin until July. But let’s try to keep score here. Cyndy Hayworth, would-be challenger fo... Read More

April 23, 2009

Plan would change N.C. tax system

RALEIGH — The good news: Sales taxes and income tax rates would drop under a finance package state senators started examining Wednesday. The bad news: North Carolinians would end up paying the state more anyway. “We’ve got a short-term f... Read More

April 21, 2009

Rep. Jones wants to make video poker legal again

RALEIGH — Rep. Earl Jones said he plans to introduce a bill this week to legalize video poker, a form of gambling outlawed amid accusations of political corruption and operators skirting rules. The Greensboro Democrat said it is “hypocritical...... Read More

Third parties argue for access to ballot

RALEIGH — Smaller political parties face too many obstacles if they want candidates listed on North Carolina ballots, lawyers for the Libertarian and Green parties told a N.C. Court of Appeals panel Monday. The justices were hearing the appeal of a... Read More

April 20, 2009

Washington Watch: Regulators allow N.C. to argue on Yadkin

Federal regulators will allow Gov. Bev Perdue to have her say in the ongoing argument over whether Alcoa should be allowed to keep its electric generating plants on the Yadkin River. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruled Friday that Perdue could... Read More

Loopholes in gaming laws hard to close

RALEIGH — The bill was simple enough. It would have affirmed the legislature’s intent to outlaw video poker in all its forms without making changes to existing law. In particular, backers of the measure are frustrated that a video poker varian... Read More

N.C. Democrat welcomes shift on Cuba policy

When U.S. Rep. Mel Watt traveled to Cuba earlier this month, he was curious to meet President Raul Castro , the younger brother of the island’s long time leader, Fidel. During his previous trip to Cuba in 2004, Watt said, one rarely heard abou... Read More

April 19, 2009

Stimulus cash hunt baffles

Local government officials had hoped the massive economic stimulus bill Congress passed in February would be manna from heaven, or at least easy cash from the federal government. Rather, tapping money coming to North Carolina from the American Investment... Read More