YOU DON’T SAY

“While we do not deal in international affairs on the state level of politics, we do hold authority to encourage our national officials to support efforts in peace.”

Rep. Maria Cervania, D-Wake, on a letter signed by North Carolina officials to push for a cease-fire in Palestine and Israel. (State Affairs Pro, 7/31/24)

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Veto Overrides

Makiya Seminera, The Associated Press, 7/31/24

North Carolina’s Republican-led House quickly overrode three of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes on Wednesday. The House votes, largely along party lines, sent the overrides to the Senate, which does not meet this week. Veto overrides require supermajorities from both legislative chambers to become law. Since gaining supermajorities last year, GOP lawmakers have blocked all of Cooper’s vetoes.

The first bill allows the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles to issue title certificates for all-terrain and utility vehicles, and expands the types of roads accessible for modified utility vehicles to include all roads with speed limits of 55 mph or less. Cooper said in his veto statement that the law would endanger people on state highways because off-road vehicles don’t have as many safety features.

The second piece of legislation changes several laws involving tenancy, notaries and small claims court. What mostly prompted Cooper’s veto was a prohibition against local ordinances that aim to stop landlords from denying tenancy to people whose rent money comes mostly from federal housing assistance programs.

The last bill, among other things, blocks state agencies from taking payments in central bank digital currency, which is similar to cryptocurrencies, but with value determined by a country’s central bank. In the U.S., the Federal Reserve would be liable for the currency’s value, and the agency is still studying whether it can manage its risks to the cost and availability of credit, the safety and stability of the financial system, and the efficacy of monetary policy.

Cooper called the legislation “premature, vague and reactionary,” and urged the Legislature to wait to see how it works before passing laws to restrict it. There are two more vetoes that still require action from both chambers. Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene in early September. [Source]

 

School Attendance

T. Keung Hui, The News & Observer, 7/31/24

New state data shows that more North Carolina families are picking alternatives to traditional public schools. Reports released Tuesday by the state Division of Non-Public Education show enrollment in both private schools and homeschooling increased last school year.

In the same time period, enrollment rose in charter schools but dropped in traditional public schools. The data comes amid a heated debate about the role the state should play in educating North Carolina’s 1.8 million K-12 students. The Republican-controlled General Assembly has expanded school choice options, while Democratic lawmakers say not enough is being done to support public schools. Here’s a look at the new figures.

The state’s 881 private schools reported enrolling 131,230 students in the 2023-24 school year. That’s a 4,462-student increase, or 3.5% more than the 2022-23 school year.

Enrollment in private schools has increased 26% since the 2019-20 school year. Between the 2019-20 and 2022-23 school years, the Associated Press reported that North Carolina had the nation’s fifth-highest growth in private school enrollment.

Enrollment could soar this fall depending on how many families receive a private school voucher under new rules that eliminated income eligibility limits.

Some parents rallied Wednesday on Halifax Mall in Raleigh to urge GOP lawmakers to keep their promise to fund Opportunity Scholarships for all 71,956 applicants.

“Since this movement began less than two weeks ago, we have received countless messages from parents from every corner of the state who are frustrated by the lack of action by our legislature to clear the 55,000 students waitlisted for the Opportunity Scholarship,” the group Keep Your Promise posted Tuesday. “This is a true grassroots army of parents ready to make a difference for our children and hold our leaders accountable for the promises made.”

The state estimates that 157,642 students were homeschooling last school year. That’s a 4,925-student jump, or 3.2% more than the 2022-23 school year. Homeschooling enrollment has increased 5.7% since the 2019-20 school year. But the actual post-pandemic increase could be higher because the state in recent years has removed thousands of families who never submitted paperwork when they stopped homeschooling.

If all the homeschoolers were counted as their own school district they’d only be slightly smaller than the Wake County school system, which is the state’s largest.

Overall public school enrollment rose last school year. But the gains were fueled by charter schools and not the state’s 115 school systems. Enrollment in traditional public schools dropped 0.4% last school year to 1.36 million children, EdNC reported.

Enrollment is down 3.6% since the pandemic started in the end of the 2019-20 school year. But charter schools grew by 4.9% last school year to educate 139,985 students. Between the 2019-20 and 2022-23 school year, North Carolina had the third-highest growth rate in the nation in charter school enrollment, Charter schools are classified as public schools. But they are exempt from some of the rules that traditional public schools must follow.

Traditional public schools still educate the bulk of the state’s students. But that share has been declining. The percentage of the state’s students educated in traditional public schools has dropped from 86.5% in 2010 to 75.7% last school year.

That time period has coincided with major legislative changes such as the creation of the Opportunity Scholarship program and the elimination of the state cap on the number of charter schools.

Both the N.C. School Boards Association and the N.C. Association of Educators have recently launched statewide campaigns to build support for public education. NCAE has its new “We Love Public Schools” campaign. The School Boards Association has put up billboards promoting its “Public Education Does the Public Good” campaign.

The campaign’s website points to concerns such as how North Carolina is 42nd in the nation in school funding and 36th in average teacher pay. “Our public schools aren’t failing,” the website says. “We are failing our public schools. “The debate has become whether to support public schools or some alternative. But that is a false choice because no matter what type of education makes sense for your family, thriving public schools lift us all.” [Source]

Cease Fire

Matthew Sasser, State Affairs Pro, 7/31/24

Nearly 50 elected officials in North Carolina have signed a letter addressed to the Biden-Harris administration and the state congressional delegation to demand a cease-fire in Palestine and Israel. 

“This letter was born from deep compassion and carefully crafted with sincerity and sensitivity,” Rep. Maria Cervania, D-Wake, said. “While we do not deal in international affairs on the state level of politics, we do hold authority to encourage our national officials to support efforts in peace.”

So far, 14 state representatives and Sens. Gladys A. Robinson and Michael Garrett, both D-Guilford, have signed the letter. Others include school board and city council members from across the state. 

The letter, which has been in the works since the Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in Israel, supports the Ceasefire Now Resolution, sponsored by U.S. Rep Cori Bush, and urges the release of all hostages held by Hamas and the Israeli government. 

“Though the Middle East conflict is 6,000-plus miles away, its impact definitely is felt here in North Carolina, in our communities, within families and among our friends, be they Palestinian, Israeli, American or another nationality,” Rep. Renée A. Price, D-Orange, said. “We are unable to remain silent as this crisis worsens.”

Price encouraged elected officials to add their names to the letter, which was co-authored by Cervania; Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford; Muslim Women For; and Jewish Voice for Peace. Rep. Kanika Brown, D-Forsyth, was also present at the news conference Wednesday morning. 

Samira Haddad, a local Palestinian organizer and second-generation Nakba survivor, said that local, grassroots organization is important to cause change in Washington, D.C., and that the letter is not merely symbolic. 

Raleigh City Council member Christina Jones noted there has been a groundswell of support from over 250 citizens demanding a cease-fire resolution at their meetings, which led her to sign the letter. 

In March, the Jewish Federation of Raleigh supported council members who voted no on a cease-fire resolution. 

Steve Bader, a Triangle-area member of Jewish Voice for Peace, thanked every elected official who signed the letter. “An immediate, permanent cease-fire is critical when every single day more and more people are slaughtered,” he said.

In a speech to Congress last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has previously stated he is skeptical of accepting a cease-fire resolution, vowed to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities.

Haddad said the recent assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh only exacerbated the intensity of the conflict and urgency of the letter. “This will only increase the determination and steadfastness of the Palestinian people, and any increase [in] violence by Israel will only increase our resistance,” Haddad said.

School NIL

Langston Wertz Jr., The News & Observer, 7/31/24

Just more than a year after N.C. lawmakers struck down a potential name, image and likeness (NIL) policy for North Carolina’s public school athletes, a policy could again be under consideration. Representatives from the NCHSAA met with the N.C. State Board of Education on Wednesday to present findings about NIL and make recommendations for a potential statewide policy. The state board could vote on a proposal later this fall.

The presentation was called “Name/Image/Likeness: To Be Or Not To Be?”

After it ended, board members asked several questions and a few indicated a policy was needed. “This is an incredibly complex and difficult step we have to take,” one board member said, “but I think we have got to take the step. We can’t just say we’re not going to do anything, it’s too complicated.”

NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker led the presentation. “We can’t run away from it, because it’s here,” Tucker said of NIL nationally, mentioning that colleges are dealing with it now.

“It is tricking down (to high school sports). … How do we move forward?”

The NCHSAA asked the education board to consider enacting a policy that would allow for “consistency across the state,” and one that would adhere to state regulations.

The NCHSAA would like a policy to define which student-athletes are eligible and the type of NIL activities — such as endorsements and personal appearances — that would be allowed.

The NCHSAA’s recommendation, laid out in a public-facing document, would also “set standards” so NIL activities do not negatively affect academic performance or interfere with the student-athlete’s commitment to his or her team. The association’s proposed plan would also provide financial education for athletes and consider whether a student-athlete’s potential NIL income should be limited to ensure compliance with school or district policies.

“We clearly understand our role in this,” Tucker said. “We can’t create a policy.”

Some members of the state board asked Tucker about potential problems with implementing an NIL policy, including the need for legal counsel, how the NCHSAA would monitor NIL deals and how families would be educated on various regulations.

“We need a policy in place to help guide and protect those families,” said Pikeville Aycock principal Tod Morgan, an NCHSAA board member who led the association’s NIL committee. “We are really trying to be proactive to try to help and guide our student-athletes and their families.”

State Board of Education member Wendell Hall, who served on the NCHSAA’s NIL committee, said he thought Wednesday’s meeting and proposal was a good start towards a potential policy. “Whatever we come up with,” Hall said, “we are going to have to come back and revisit this thing time and time again in order to get in compliance with laws.”

The state’s private schools in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association can benefit from NIL beginning this school year. In January, the NCISAA voted to allow NIL, joining more than 30 high school athletic associations nationwide that have approved an NIL policy. [Source]

Child Care Programs

Katie Dukes, Education NC, 7/30/24

Since February 2020, the number of licensed child care programs in North Carolina has decreased by 5.3%, and the loss has accelerated in the past year. 

EdNC has been tracking changes in the number of programs over the past year as pandemic-era stabilization funding has expired. Using quarterly data provided by the NC Child Care Resource and Referral Council (CCR&R) in partnership with the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), we found that 40% of the net loss in licensed child care programs since the pandemic began occurred in just the past year.

In other words, the pace of closures has doubled — from an average net loss of four programs per month from February 2020 through June 2023, to an average net loss of nine programs per month from July 2024 through June 2023— as stabilization grants have diminished. An extension of those grants was set to expire on June 30, creating a “funding cliff” that was expected to prompt as many as one-third of programs to close their doors. But in the final week of June, the General Assembly committed $67.5 million to extend compensation grants, at a reduced amount, to child care providers.

Kandice Scarberry, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (which oversees DCDEE), said this amount is “insufficient to fully cover the first two quarters of the fiscal year,” which began July 1.

Rather than falling off a funding cliff, North Carolina’s licensed child care system is now rolling down a steep hill toward the end of 2024.

Of the state’s 100 counties, 62 have had a net loss of licensed child care programs since February 2020, while 19 have remained stable and 19 have experienced a net gain. All of the state’s urban counties have had decreases in the number of their child care programs since February 2020. And all of the counties that have seen a net increase or have held steady are designated as rural or suburban by the NC Rural Center. But it’s too simplistic to say that rural and suburban counties are faring better than urban ones. While the net gain or loss of programs can be a helpful way to think about overall trends, it’s never the full story of what families are experiencing in their communities.

For example, in two rural counties — Hyde and Polk — there are no licensed child care programs serving infants or toddlers.

Families in those counties do not have the freedom to choose which early childhood education option is the best for their children: forgoing work to provide care and education themselves; trusting a friend, family member, or neighbor with the care and education of their infants and toddlers; or enrolling their children at a licensed child care center or family child care home. [Source]

Harris Campaign

Danielle Battaglia, McClatchy, 7/31/24

North Carolinians can expect a visit from Vice President Kamala Harris and her new running mate next week, according to an official with the Harris campaign. The official said Harris and her pick for vice president — who has yet to be announced — plan to “crisscross the country together to campaign for the voters who will decide this election” and Raleigh is on the list of stops. Further information wasn’t immediately available.

This is Harris’ first visit to the state since President Joe Biden ended his campaign on July 21 and immediately endorsed Harris for the nomination. Harris has since absorbed Biden’s campaign teams, who made North Carolina a central part of their fight to retain the White House.

The Harris campaign said it will continue to be laser-focused on flipping North Carolina blue.

Since 1976, North Carolinians have only elected Republican presidential candidates, with the exception of former President Barack Obama in 2008. But Biden came less than 2 points of defeating former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

The campaign stop will mark Harris’ eighth visit to North Carolina this year. She and a flurry of surrogates have been frequent visitors to North Carolina since the launch of the 2024 campaign season, while the Trump campaign has been less of a presence.

Trump attempted to hold a rally in Wilmington in April, but was forced to cancel due to weather. He then appeared at the NASCAR Cup Series Race, the Coca-Cola 600, in Concord, over Memorial Day weekend. He held a rally in Charlotte on July 24.

Harris counter-programmed against Trump on July 18, as he accepted the Republican nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by holding a campaign event in Fayetteville. The visit came just days before Biden made his decision to leave his campaign.

Since then, North Carolina has remained in the spotlight as speculation mounted that Harris was eyeing Gov. Roy Cooper as a possible running mate. But on Monday night, Cooper publicly announced he didn’t feel the timing was right and had turned down the job. But speculation continues about who will join Harris in Raleigh as her running mate. Among the frontrunners are Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. Harris is expected to choose a running mate before Wednesday, Aug. 7, when Democrats plan to hold a virtual phone call to lock in their official nominations. [Source]

 

Judicial Nominee

Danielle Battaglia, McClatchy, 7/31/24

North Carolina Solicitor General Ryan Park sat through a contentious hearing Wednesday morning as Republicans vowed to block President Joe Biden’s nomination of Park for the federal 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Sen. Thom Tillis led the charge, telling his colleagues that the White House became aware in mid-April that Tillis had enough votes on the Senate floor to block Park’s nomination from going forward, but instead of working with Tillis and Sen. Ted Budd to find a consensus nominee, the White House moved forward with Park anyways.

“I am ashamed to be in this position,” Tillis said. “I am ashamed of the White House for putting Mr. Park in this position.”

Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, introduced Park to the committee. He told its members that Park, in his current role representing the state in court as solicitor general, has presented more than 30 appeals, including 10 before the U.S. Court of Appeals and two before the U.S. Supreme Court. His resume includes working in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State and having served as a law clerk to Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter, as well as 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Robert Katzmann and Judge Jed Rakoff of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

“Those are clerkships for which students would die to get those clerkships,” said Carl Tobias, the Williams Chair in Law at the University of Richmond. Tobias, who watched the hearing Wednesday, said he believes Park is well-qualified for the position and worries that if other nominees watched what happened to Park they won’t put themselves through the nomination process.

Park sat before the committee Wednesday morning with his mother, wife and young children in the audience. Many judicial and law enforcement officials also traveled to Washington for the hearing. They sat in the hearing room as Republicans criticized him for his record and accused him of being a liberal activist.

Tillis received permission to take the unusual step of playing a video in the committee showing Park and demonstrating why Tillis had concerns. The video opens with Park speaking into a microphone and saying, “As a progressive lawyer who wanted to make a difference, I thought that was a really unique place, to be working for a new attorney general.” The video then attacks Attorney General Josh Stein on positions he took on immigration and abortion, and shows Park saying, “my perspective on those kinds of high-level cases are always, 2.5 million-plus people voted for my boss to be attorney general, to make those kinds of decisions, and I even feel privileged to be able to advise him.”

Durbin allowed Park to respond to the video. “I think that if you look at those clips, in context, at least the clips of me speaking, you’ll see that when I was describing myself as a progressive, I wasn’t describing, I wasn’t using the term in the partisan or political sense,” Park said. “In fact, later on that same panel, in the first clip, I said explicitly, that I think politics through lawsuits is illegitimate. That’s what I said.” He added that he’s unique among state solicitor generals in that he’s never led a partisan, multistate lawsuit or partisan amicus brief with Democratic attorneys general on one side and Republican attorneys general on the other. “Every single effort that I’ve led, in that context, has been bipartisan,” Park said. [Source]

Ballot Lawsuit

Caroline Horne, Port City Daily, 7/30/24

The North Carolina Democratic Party filed a lawsuit against the state board of elections last Thursday and it has the General Assembly watching for what comes to light. The lawsuit requests an injunction to force Robert F. Kennedy Jr. off the ballot by Aug. 16. 

The Democratic Party filed its lawsuit two days after the North Carolina House of Representatives oversight committee questioned elections board chair Alan Hirsch and the executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, Karen Brinson Bell. The committee wanted to give the two a chance to explain why they approved the We the People Party (representing Kennedy) for ballot access this election season but rejected the Justice for all Party (representing Cornel West).

Rep. Jake Johnson, R-Polk, chair of the oversight committee, told Port City Daily findings of the lawsuit may determine whether or not the committee will need to question the board again.

The state board has been under fire in recent weeks, as a separate lawsuit was filed by three Fayetteville Justice for All supporters on July 22 against the board for denying the Justice for All party.

Also, nonprofit ads claim the Democratic-majority board purposely rejected candidates who could threaten their candidate’s win.

Then on July 23, North Carolinian and U.S. congressional candidate Bo Hines also filed a complaint against the board with the North Carolina State Bar for its previous rejections of the third parties.

Johnson added if the House committee determines the board made decisions on a partisan basis, the General Assembly will need to have a “serious conversation” about options to take in the coming weeks. Port City Daily asked Johnson to clarify what specifically those options may entail but did not receive a response by press.

The NCDP — who also sued the board in 2022 to prevent the Green Party from gaining midterm election ballot access — is now challenging the We The People party’s ballot access. Former Democratic presidential candidate and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, RFK is running the first campaign of the party, formed in January.

The state board of elections voted 4-1 to approve the We the People’s petition on July 16, but it was denied twice before in meetings on July 9 and June 26, along with the Justice for All Party which never gained approval.

The NCDP’s lawsuit says the board’s action allows an unaffiliated candidate to “masquerade” as a political party with the sole purpose of gaining ballot access. Essentially, it claims Kennedy originally registered as an independent, which would require more signatures to get on the ballot, before changing his mind and forming a party, requiring fewer signatures to gain access.

The NCDP argues this method of getting verified evades state requirements of unaffiliated candidates and is illegal. Unaffiliated candidates had to receive over 80,000 signatures by March 5 to qualify for the ballot whereas parties only had to get roughly 13,000 by June 1. [Source]

 

School Air

Ann Doss Helms, WFAE Radio, 7/31/24

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction took a first pass Wednesday at telling state lawmakers how much it would cost to fully protect students from the risks of carbon monoxide and radon gas in classrooms. The answer: $85 million, though school facilities director Nathan Maune told the state Board of Education that numbers are preliminary.

Many older North Carolina schools don’t have carbon monoxide detectors, and radon mitigation systems in schools are almost unheard of.

Last year, the General Assembly ordered DPI to survey schools to figure out the cost of adding carbon monoxide detectors to older schools, as the building code now requires for new construction, and testing for radon.

Maune said not all school districts have responded to the survey, but so far it looks like almost 3,800 classroom buildings have fuel-burning boilers or appliances that could create a carbon monoxide leak.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association, which recommends CO detectors in classroom buildings, reports that students in several states have been sickened when the odorless gas seeped into classrooms. In 2015, several students went home sick with carbon monoxide poisoning and a teacher was hospitalized after a dead owl blocked a boiler pipe at an elementary school, according to local news reports.

The report that will be sent to the General Assembly indicates that Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Iredell-Statesville school systems have CO detectors in all buildings with fuel-burning devices. Union, Gaston, Cabarrus, Catawba and Lincoln counties appear to have buildings without the detectors. But Maune cautioned that data collection is still in progress and the table breaking down results by district “should not be taken verbatim.”

Maune said the best current estimate for providing CO detectors and making sure all older buildings meet the current safety code is $40 million. “Certainly all these facilities were designed and constructed to the codes in place at the time they were constructed,” Maune said.

The General Assembly also ordered DPI to ask about radon gas, which is linked to cancer risks for children. Maune said it’s extremely rare for schools to have any type of radon mitigation system.

The General Assembly didn’t require DPI to survey the state’s 210 charter schools, which are often in leased buildings, about their CO and radon detection systems. But members of the state Board of Education said those schools, which served about 145,000 students last year, should also be included. [Source]

Shooting Video

Julia Coin and Ryan Oehrli, The Charlotte Observer, 7/31/24

After hearing arguments from family and The Charlotte Observer on Wednesday, a judge this week is expected to grant or deny requests to release video of Pineville police confronting and killing Dennis Bodden.

Mecklenburg Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Carla Archie heard separate requests from The Charlotte Observer and Bodden’s mother to publicly release video of Pineville police Sgt. Adam Roberts shooting Bodden three times — and Tasing him twice — following reports he’d stolen items from the Food Lion in Johnston Road Plaza.

The release, the Observer and Cleopatra Bodden argued, is imperative in upholding police transparency and accountability to the public.

“I am prepared for the full release,” Cleopatra Bodden told Archie, confirming that she had already seen the video. It was hard for her, she said, but it was important to share. “I want transparency.” she continued. “I want everyone to see what happened. I want everything released.”

The Observer’s attorney, Jonathan Buchan, told Archie that Pineville police “obviously sensed (the shooting) was a matter of public interest.” That’s proven by their own news release about the incident, he said. District Attorney Spencer Merriweather also acknowledged public interest in the case when he published a letter sent to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police explaining why officers should not be charged in the shooting, Buchan argued.

That letter laid out some concerns about the incident, the Observer previously reported.

Pineville police said they had no issue with releasing the footage to the Observer — with a caveat. Publishing the last eight minutes of video — which show Bodden dying on the grass as Roberts and a backup officer struggle to give him aid — would be “pure sensationalism,” said Scott MacLatchie, an attorney representing Pineville police. He asked that they be excluded from the released video. But those last minutes could have recorded conversation among the officers about what just happened, Buchan argued. Just audio of the last eight minutes would be sufficient, he said, but it shouldn’t be altogether excluded.

Archie said she expected to make a decision this week. [Source]

 

EPA Funds

Peter Castagno, Port City Daily, 7/31/24

Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Roy Cooper and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan visited a prominent Brunswick County nature preserve to celebrate new federal grant opportunities for conservation projects in North Carolina.

It comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that the state will receive $117.8 million from the EPA’s $421 million Climate Pollution Reduction Grant. The money will boost natural land conservation, restoration projects in coastal habitats, and carbon reduction statewide. Cooper said some of the funds would go toward conserving Brunswick County’s 15,900-acre Green Swamp Preserve.

“Think of what this swamp can do for our environment and for our resilience,” he said. “This swamp and others like it soak up potential flood waters, reduce carbon release into the air, and create a great space for recreation and for families to go.”

Regan —  former secretary for N.C. Department of Environmental Quality — noted the preserve contains peatlands, a type of wetland with a high proportion of partially decayed organic matter in its soil that is uniquely capable of retaining carbon.  “The peatlands here in the Green Swamp Preserve have been around for millennia,” Regan said “Remaining natural and undrained, the way a peatland is supposed to be.”

The Atlantic Conservation Coalition, a regional collaboration of organizations focused on natural climate solutions from North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Virginia, is the grant recipient. ACC partners, including the North Carolina Coastal Federation, North Carolina Forest Service, and the N.C. Nature Conservancy, will help determine locations for grant-funded projects over the next five years.

Cooper said part of an executive order he issued in February — which set statewide goals, including conserving 1 million acres of natural lands — is mapping environmental justice issues throughout the state to identify community concerns. “In the next week or so we’re going to have a meeting of leaders from communities who are involved in environmental justice to help us make that map the very best it can be,” he said. [Source]

Water Transfer

Zachary Turner, WFAE Radio, 7/31/24

Charlotte Water has begun the yearslong process of updating a certificate to transfer more water from the Catawba River Basin to the Rocky River Basin. At a meeting this week in Rock Hill, residents, local officials and one environmental group said they’re worried about river flow, environmental impacts and future drought conditions.

Water is transferred from the Catawba River to the Rocky River basin when Charlotte Water provides water to customers living in eastern Mecklenburg County.

Catawba Riverkeeper Brandon Jones raised concerns over limited water resources, development, and the impacts the transfer request could have on downstream species, including the federally endangered Carolina Heelsplitter mussel. The riverkeeper recommended prioritizing water conservation measures over increasing the water transfer cap.

In 2002, a multiyear drought threatened to shut down some businesses along the Catawba. Fort Mill Mayor Guynn Savage voiced concern about what a similar drought could mean for the community in the future.

“We were only hours away from industries along the Catawba in this region having to shut down,” Savage said. “You can live without electricity, you can live without a lot of things, but you can’t live without water.”

Nearly three-quarters of South Carolina is currently experiencing a drought, including York County, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which the Catawba flows through. Savage’s remarks foreshadowed future opposition that the utility may encounter should it pursue a new interbasin transfer certificate. “Thank you for your time here, but I’m afraid we’ll be together for the next three years or so,” Savage said.

Charlotte Water will meet with local governments, communities, and organizations through the end of the year before state regulators develop an environmental impact statement by 2027. [Source]

Rural Campaigning

Mackenzie Atkinson, Smoky Mountain News, 7/30/24

Old-school campaigning is back in rural North Carolina, and this time it’s the Democrats leading the charge.

In the 2020 election, North Carolina Democrats lost the presidential election by fewer than 75,000 votes and are looking to make up for those missed opportunities this election cycle by turning to old-fashioned door-to-door campaigning and hosting events in rural counties to connect with voters.

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton, along with Democratic candidates, met at the Folkmoot Community Center in Waynesville on July 28 as part of a rural listening tour. Clayton and her team have traveled around the state connecting with voters discussing the importance of getting out to the polls.

“I’ve had people come and say, ‘I’m unaffiliated, and I’m here to listen,’ and the candidates are what we’re trying to really showcase on this [tour],” Clayton said. “You got to get out here and talk to people. I don’t think voters are monolithic, and I don’t think the party should treat them as such. Rural people want to shake the hand of somebody, they want to introduce themselves, they want to be able to have that conversation.”

Rallying a traditionally Republican area around Democratic views is no easy task. Democratic candidates believe that getting out and talking with voters is important and they plan on catering to their values.

“I think freedom is a value that we all associate with, especially in rural North Carolina,” Clayton said. “Democrats for a long time have shied away from talking about this in rural North Carolina and I think rural women value the opportunity to have a choice.”

Seventy-eight counties in North Carolina are considered rural, and with roughly 3.5 million people, the state ranks second only to Texas as the state with the largest rural population.

Roughly 655,000 registered Democrats did not vote at all in 2020. [Source]

 

Election Scams

Elena Marsh, The Southern Pines Pilot, 7/30/24

The Moore County Board of Elections is alerting the community of an organization requesting registered voters to register again.

Local elections officials were notified through other county boards of elections’ offices that an organization is asking community members to complete a “new” voter registration form. If voters are already registered to vote, they do not need to complete another form to continue to be a registered voter.

The unnamed organization is not affiliated with the Moore County Board of Elections. [Source]

 

Chancellor Search

Paul Garber, WFDD Radio, 7/31/24

A national search committee for Appalachian State University’s next chancellor is seeking public input into the process. People who want to comment on the next leader can take an online survey available now through August 28. The search committee is also hosting in-person and remote listening sessions starting Aug. 22.

The 13-member search committee, put together in June, is chaired by former GOP state Sen. Deanna Ballard of Watauga County. They’re looking for feedback on desired leadership qualities and campus priorities. Former Chancellor Sheri Everts stepped down in the spring, citing health concerns. Heather Norris, who has been with the university for more than 20 years, has been serving as interim chancellor since April. She has previously served as provost and executive vice president of the university. [Source]

Perquimans School

Kesha Williams, The (Elizabeth City) Daily Advance, 7/31/24

The Perquimans County Schools has received another $12 million state grant for the county’s proposed intermediate school, reducing the amount county taxpayers ultimately will have to spend to help fund the approximately $60 million facility. Perquimans County Schools Superintendent Dr. Tanya Turner announced that the district will be receiving the $12 million supplemental grant from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund during the Board of Education’s July 22 meeting. The supplemental grant is in addition to the $36.9 million Needs-Based funding the Perquimans district has already received for the school, she said.

“We are deeply appreciative of the $12 million supplemental grant awarded for the construction of our new intermediate school,” Turner said. “This generous funding represents a significant investment in the future of our students and the broader Perquimans County community.”

Perquimans County Manager Frank Heath also announced recently that $5 million allotted to Perquimans County in last year’s state budget will also be applied to the new school’s cost.

“We received $5 million in the last long session state budget for capital projects and infrastructure,” he said. “The Board (of Commissioners) directed me to allocate it to the school project.”

With the additional $12 million from DPI and $5 million from the county, Perquimans now has nearly $54 million of the estimated $60 million officials expect the new intermediate school will cost to build. The new school for grades 3-8 will replace both Hertford Grammar and Perquimans Middle School. That significantly reduces the amount Perquimans will have to borrow for the new school, and the amount county taxpayers ultimately will have to repay, possibly through higher property taxes, over time. [Source]

 

Greensboro Housing

DJ Simmons, WFDD Radio, 7/29/24

The city of Greensboro celebrated the opening of a brand-new apartment community on Monday that will bring more affordable housing to the area. The Lofts at Elmsley Crossing is an 84-unit apartment complex created for low and moderate-income families. The development is based in southeast Greensboro and offers a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom garden-style homes. The $19 million project was created through a public-private partnership between Trinity Housing Development, Central Developers and Halcon Companies. Rents for the homes range from $370 to around $1,100. [Source]

 

Horse Death

Kip Tabb, Coastal Review, 7/31/24

Meg Puckett, herd manager for the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, was clearly shaken last weekend following the death of Bullwinkle, a 10-year-old stallion struck by the driver of a side-by-side utility vehicle. Bystanders saw it happen just before midnight Friday on the Carova Beach and alerted law enforcement. The horse had to be euthanized because of the extent of his injuries. “It is just unimaginable. It’s just hard to wrap your head around,” Puckett said.

The Currituck County Sheriff’s Department said it arrested Porter Williamson, 57, of Chesapeake, Virginia, who was charged with resisting, delaying and obstructing law enforcement. He was placed under a $10,000 bond. The other occupant of the vehicle, Rhonda Williamson, 62, was also charged and received a $5,000 bond for providing false information to law enforcement.
As a stallion in the prime of his life, Bullwinkle represented the future of the Corolla herd. “Those are the genes that he would pass down,” Puckett said. “The personality traits and all of that — survival of the fittest. We didn’t just lose one horse in a tragic accident. We lost every single foal that horse would have ever started.”

The arrest serves as an important example, she noted. “Hopefully the next person who decides to drive recklessly in the middle of the night will think about it before they do it,” Puckett said. [Source]

 

Simone Restoration

Asheville Citizen Times, 7/31/24

The building where iconic singer, musician and civil rights activist Nina Simone was born in Tryon will undergo restoration as a historic site after gaining protection under a preservation easement.

The African American Cultural Heritage Fund, a program of the National Historic Trust for Preservation, secured protections for Simone’s birthplace that bind all current and future owners to protect the building. The house, built in 1030, can be renovated — as long as the building’s “authentic character” is preserved, and cannot be demolished. A news release from the heritage fund said that general contractor Every Angle Inc. of Western North Carolina, has been selected for a restoration project that will restore the home as an interpretative historic site that tells the story of Simone’s early life.

During the first phase of the project contractors will install an exterior ADA-accessible ramp, geothermal heating and cooling system and interpretative landscape elements. A project arborist will collaborate with contractors to determine the best location for ramp footings to protect a nearly century-old magnolia tree at the rear of the home.

The interpretative landscape will feature a replicated swept dirt yard and preserved foundations for a work shed uncovered during an archaeological survey. These additions are intended to help visitors gain a deeper historical understanding of Black life in America’s rural South. [Source]

 

Alamance-Burlington Superintendent

Amy Diaz, WFDD Radio, 7/31/24

The Alamance-Burlington School System Board of Education voted 6-1 to approve Aaron Fleming as the district’s next superintendent Monday afternoon. Fleming is currently the superintendent of Harnett County Schools, a role he’s held for the last seven years. He’s also been an agricultural education teacher, a policy advisor and was named the Sandhills Regional Superintendent of the Year twice in a row.
Vice Chair Donna Davis Westbrooks was the lone vote against him, due to the fact that he’s never been a principal.

“As the only educator on this board, maybe I am alone in my thoughts and beliefs, but I do feel that principals and even our assistant principals, need to have a superintendent who has had that same experience,” she said.

The search for a new superintendent began back in March when Dain Butler resigned from the position. The district has been struggling financially and has a projected deficit of $2.4 million. Board Member Ryan Bowden said he’s looking forward to starting fresh with new leadership. Fleming will assume the role on September 18. [Source]

 

AI Acquisition

Chris Roush, Business NC, 7/31/24

Raleigh-based Pendo announced Wednesday morning it has acquired Zelta AI, a New York company that collects customer feedback and analyzes it for clients, for an undisclosed amount. The deal expands Pendo’s artificial intelligence operation. The company has released nearly a dozen artificial intelligence features and products in the past year, including Pendo Listen, which helps companies build and launch new products.

Zelta AI will become part of Pendo Listen.

“Like Pendo Listen, it leverages AI to glean insights from qualitative data to help product teams build products that deliver on business outcomes,” said CEO and co-founder Todd Olson in a blog post Wednesday morning. “In the coming months, we plan to integrate the technology into Pendo Listen, giving our customers a more complete understanding of their customers, and more product data from which AI can uncover insights.”

The last Pendo acquisition was in February 2022 when it acquired Mind the Product, a global product community headquartered in London.

Pendo says its customers are increasingly using artificial intelligence in its offerings. More than 20% of customers who created an in-app guide in the last 90 days are leveraging AI to write or localize the content to quickly build valuable guides, for example. [Source]

NC Insider Legislative Report

LB: LEGISLATIVE BUILDING. LOB: LEGISLATIVE OFFICE BUILDING

LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS:

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE HOUSE

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

• Veto Overridden
  • HB 155 (Sossamon) TITLES FOR OFF-ROAD VEH./LOW SPEED VEH. INSP
  • HB 556 (Wheatley) TENANCY IN COM./E-NOTARY/SMALLCLAIMS CHANGES
  • HB 690 (Warren) NO CENTRL BANK DIGITAL CURRENCY PMTS TO STATE

HOUSE CALENDAR

Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024

House Convenes at 9:00 A.M.

SENATE CALENDAR

Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024

Senate Convenes at 9:30 A.M.

HOUSE & SENATE: Reconvening allowed under provisions of SB 916, if no sine die adjournment previously adopted.

• Monday, Sept. 9 to Wednesday, Sept. 11
• Wednesday, Oct. 9
• Tuesday, Nov. 19 to Friday Nov. 22
• Wednesday, Dec. 11 to Friday Dec. 13

N.C. Government Meetings and Hearings

BOLD ITEMS ARE NEW LISTINGS

Thursday, Aug. 1

• 6 p.m. | The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality Public Hearing on Moriah Energy Center Draft Air Quality Permit, Vance-Granville Community College, 200 Community College Road, Henderson.

Friday, Aug. 2

• 10 a.m. | The Energy Policy Council  – Energy Assurance Committee, 217 W Jones St, Raleigh.

Monday, Aug. 5

• 9 a.m. | The Board Development Committee of The North Carolina Partnership for Children meets, The meeting will be held via Zoom. You may contact Yvonne Huntley at 984.221.1242 or email at [email protected] for additional information.

Tuesday, Aug. 6

• 9 a.m. | The Council of State meets. 1 South Wilmington St, Raleigh.
• 9 a.m. | North Carolina Board of Transportation Meeting, 1 S Wilmington St, Raleigh.
• 1 p.m. | NC Coastal Resources Commission meets, 400 Commerce Ave, Morehead City.
• 1:30 p.m. | The North Carolina Local Government Commission – August Meeting, 3200 Atlantic Ave, Raleigh.

Wednesday, Aug. 7

• 12 p.m. | North Carolina Commission for Public Health meets, 1101 Gorman St, Raleigh.
• 1:15 p.m. | North Carolina Board of Transportation Meeting, 1 S Wilmington St, Raleigh.

Thursday, Aug. 8

• 9:30 a.m. | North Carolina Taskforce for Offshore Wind Economic Resource Strategies (NC TOWERS), ECU’s Coastal Studies Institute 850 NC 345, Wanchese.
• 10 a.m. | Quarterly Meeting of the State Ethics Commission, 424 North Blount St, Raleigh.

Tuesday, Aug. 13

• 11 a.m. | Economic Investment Committee  –  Regular Meeting, 301 N. Wilmington St, Raleigh.

Wednesday, Aug. 14

• 9 a.m. | North Carolina Real Estate Commission Meeting, 1313 Navaho Drive, Raleigh.

Monday, Aug. 19

• 2 p.m. | The Executive Committee of The North Carolina Partnership for Children meets, The meeting will be held via Zoom. You may contact Yvonne Huntley at 984.221.1242 or email at [email protected] for additional information.

UNC Board of Governors

23 S. WEST STREET, SUITE 1800, RALEIGH

Wednesday, Sept. 11

• Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

Thursday, Sept. 12

• Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

Thursday, Oct. 17

• Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

Wednesday, Nov. 13

• Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

Thursday, Nov. 14

• Meeting of the Board of Governors, TBA.

N.C. Utilities Commission Hearing Schedule

DOBBS BUILDING, 430 NORTH SALISBURY STREET, RALEIGH

Tuesday, Aug. 13

• 10 a.m. | Public Hearing – Annual Review of Gas Costs | G-5 Sub 675

Wednesday, Aug. 14

• 7 p.m. | Public Witness Hearing – Application for General Rate Increase for Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. | G-9 Sub 837

Tuesday, Aug. 20

• 6 p.m. | Public Witness Hearing – Application for Transfer of Public Utility Franchise and Approval of Rates of HISCO East, LLC in Carteret County to HISCO I in Carteret County | W-1297 Sub 17, W-1344 Sub 0
• 6 p.m. | Public Witness Hearing – Application for Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and for Approval of Rates to Provide Sewer Utility Service to Currently Served Cape Ponte Village Subdivision, Additional Phases for the National Park Service, Harkers Island RV Park and a Fe | W-1344 Sub 1

Wednesday, Aug. 21

• 7 p.m. | Public Witness Hearing – Application for General Rate Increase for Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. | G-9 Sub 837

Thursday, Aug. 22

• 7 p.m. | Public Witness Hearing – Application for General Rate Increase for Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. | G-9 Sub 837

Other Meetings and Events of Interest

BOLD ITEMS ARE NEW LISTINGS

Thursday, Aug. 1

• 11 a.m. | Gov. Roy Cooper to visit Sam’s Branch Water Reclamation Facility construction site to highlight how American Rescue Plan Act funding is improving water infrastructure in North Carolina, Sam’s Branch Water Reclamation Facility, 1698 N O’Neil St, Clayton.

Friday, Sept. 27

-2024 Lumbee Powwow, Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center, 638 Terry Sanford Drive, Maxton.