Politics

The North Carolina legislature appears close to passing a bill that would see elections in three dozen municipalities this fall delayed until early 2022 due to redistricting delays.

GOP leaders in the two chambers said Tuesday their spending cap would be $25.7 billion. That's several hundred million less than what Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper wants to spend.

The North Carolina House again approved legislation on Thursday that would allow members or visitors at churches that meet on private school campuses to carry concealed handguns.

The North Carolina House has OK'd legislation to do away with the $300-per-week supplemental benefits for the unemployed provided by the federal government during the pandemic. The Republican measure approved on Thursday would take away the additional payments to roughly 245,000 people in North Carolina. The program is set to expire nationwide in early September, but about two dozen states already have decided to cut off the supplement early. GOP legislators say the additional aid is a disincentive for working, making it tough for employers to fill vacancies. Democrats say eliminating the benefits would harm people still struggling to cover their expenses.

The North Carolina House and Senate each passed bills that would require centralized reporting of Giglio letters, creating a database that law enforcement agencies could consult when hiring new officers. The letters say which law enforcement officers are deemed too untrustworthy to testify in court.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper's pick to lead the state's environmental agency appears doomed in the state Senate, where Republicans on a key committee formally opposed the Democrat's choice on Wednesday.

Charlotte, Raleigh and roughly three dozen other cities and towns in North Carolina would shift this fall's municipal elections to early next year in legislation advancing in the state Senate to address Census Bureau delays.

Party officials announced Monday that Trump will speak at the June 5 convention dinner in Greenville. Trump has expressed interest in running for president again in 2024 but has not yet announced a decision.

A graphic calling the East Coast fuel supply crunch "Biden's Gas Crisis." A tweet speculating that gas stations running dry was an "INSIDE JOB." A meme depicting the president and vice president cheering about the "Green New Deal" in front of a snaking line at a fuel station.

Several Black activists blasted a Republican measure from the North Carolina House that would increase penalties for rioters, calling it racist legislation designed to silence otherwise peaceful demonstrators for justice.