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By Mark Binker

March 19, 2009

Community College Board gets initial look at immigration study

Undocumented immigrants who attend North Carolina's community colleges pay more to attend in out-of-state student fees than they cost to educate, a consultant told the North Carolina Community College Board. On average, the operation cost to educate a ful... Read More

Budget would cut social work training

A joint UNCG-N.C. A&T training program that teaches social workers how to navigate complex child-welfare problems would be cut under the budget proposal that Gov. Bev Perdue sent to the General Assembly this week. The Greensboro program is one of 10 u... Read More

March 18, 2009

Governor's budget proposal would close McLeansville prison

RALEIGH — The Guilford Correctional Center in McLeansville is a place that most people would want to avoid, although for some inmates the 162-bed minimum-security prison is a destination of choice when they hope to finish their sentences close to ho... Read More

Legislators: Perdue's first draft good place to start

RALEIGH — Gov. Bev Perdue’s $21 billion budget proposal would close a $3.4 billion gap by cutting more than 1,000 state jobs, forcing cuts to virtually every state agency, and raising taxes on tobacco and alcohol. Her plan relies heavily on fe... Read More

March 17, 2009

Perdue's budget: Guilford Correctional Center could close

RALEIGH — The Guilford Correctional Center in McLeansville is a place that most of us would want to stay out of, although for some inmates and their families it’s a preferred destination. But the 162 beds at the minimum-security prison are in... Read More

Education, economy to get full funding in Perdue's budget

RALEIGH — This much is certain about the budget Gov. Bev Perdue will roll out today: You won’t like it. As she promised to increase or shelter spending in education and economic development programs over the past week, Perdue has also warned t... Read More

March 16, 2009

Rep. Watt disputes ruling on minority voting rights

When the Supreme Court ruled last week on a North Carolina case involving circumstances under which legislative districts can be drawn to protect minority voting rights, members of the Congressional Black Caucus immediately started talking about le... Read More

Towns consider shared CSI unit

RALEIGH — Rockingham County’s five small cities would share a crime scene investigation unit under a plan outlined in legislation filed last week. Although it might sound like a small-town version of the popular CBS television franchise, law... Read More

March 15, 2009

Battle's brewing over law

WHITSETT — A brewing fight over North Carolina’s beer distribution laws has its roots in Guilford County, with executives from two local businesses duking it out behind the scenes at the General Assembly. Red Oak Brewery has stepped up its lob... Read More

March 11, 2009

Bills filed to increase Greensboro vehicle tax

Bills have been filed in the House and Senate to allow Greensboro to raise the city's annual tax on vehicles to $16. Currently, the city charges $10 per vehicle. Proceeds from the tax could only be used to fund the city's public transportation system. Re... Read More

Oak Ridge wants authority beyond its boundaries

RALEIGH — State Sen. Phil Berger has filed a bill that would give the town of Oak Ridge authority to manage territory outside its corporate limits. The authority, called extraterritorial jurisdiction, would allow the town to impose its zoning and land... Read More

March 10, 2009

Budget will step on toes, Perdue says

RALEIGH - Gov. Bev Perdue's first State of the State address was short on specifics but long on warnings about North Carolina's grim fiscal health. Given every two years, the address traditionally has been a chance for governors to lay out what new polici... Read More

Miller plays a key role in getting mortgage law through the House

The fate of a new mortgage law championed by Rep. Brad Miller is now in the hands of the Senate, but it's unclear how much help the Raleigh Democrat will get from his Tar Heel colleagues. HR 1106, aka the "Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009," p... Read More

March 9, 2009

Inside Scoop: Will money follow Perdue's heart to furniture market?

For the past few years, the state has given the High Point Furniture Market more than $1 million to help promote itself and compete with that upstart market in Las Vegas. But because of bad economic times, the commerce department offered the line item as... Read More

Immigration issue divides legislators

RALEIGH — A pair of Guilford County legislators find themselves speaking out on opposite sides of an upcoming debate over whether to admit the children of illegal immigrants to community colleges. The issue caused a stir last year after the community co... Read More

March 5, 2009

Greensboro to host health discussion

Greensboro will be the site of one of five regional health care reform discussions the Obama administration is conducting, Gov. Bev Perdue announced today. "The governor was happy to play host to this important event and remains committed to hearing from... Read More

Protest petition passes quietly

RALEIGH - The protest petition is back. Greensboro residents will be able to fight unpopular land-use cases with that tool after a vote in the Senate on Wednesday. The city lost the right in 1971 and until this week remained the only North Carolina city w... Read More

March 4, 2009

Rezoning protest bill sails through the House, 116-0

Greensboro residents would again be able to use protest petitions in rezoning cases under a bill that passed the House 116-0 Tuesday. The measure now goes to the Senate, where passage is likely. “The protest petition is a right that’s available to cit... Read More

March 3, 2009

Smoking ban clears House committee

A bill that would ban smoking in virtually all workplaces, including bars and restaurants, passed the House Health Committee today on a voice vote. The measure must go to at least one more committee, a judiciary panel, before it heads to the House floor...... Read More

Washington Watch: Miller frustrated over mortgage bill

U.S. Rep. Brad Miller sounded tense, maybe even angry, on the phone Monday as he talked about a housing bill that contains a bankruptcy provision he has worked on for more than two years. The House is scheduled to vote on the measure today. Miller was muc... Read More

Plan advances for Wentworth youth prison

RALEIGH — Construction of a prison for youth offenders in downtown Wentworth could be one step closer after a meeting of top state officials today. The Council of State, made up of the governor and nine other statewide elected officials, is due to accep... Read More

March 2, 2009

Rockingham to give land for youth development center

Rockingham County will give the state about 20 acres on Cherokee Camp Road so the N.C. Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention can build a youth development center, according to a notice from the governor's office. The state's 10 top ele... Read More

School bus safety bill gets push

RALEIGH - An accident that claimed the life of a Rockingham County student in January has given an extra push to legislation that lawmakers plan to file this week that would allow cameras to be placed on school bus stop arms. Nicholas Adkins, 16, was hit... Read More

March 1, 2009

Cities balk at Jordan Lake rules

RALEIGH - This much is agreed on by regulators, environmentalists, local governments such as the city of Greensboro and the building industry: Cleaning up Jordan Lake is an important and worthy goal. But that's pretty much where the agreement stops in the... Read More

Many conflicted on charter schools

RALEIGH - When President Barack Obama told Congress last week that he wants to expand federal funding for charter schools, some N.C. lawmakers took uneasy notice. State law limits to 100 the number of charter schools, which are funded by tax dollars but... Read More