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Health Care

Hall on WakeMed/Atrium merger

House Speaker Destin Hall isn’t inclined to join the parade of elected officials criticizing the proposed WakeMed/Atrium hospital-system merger. “Both of them certainly know what
Berger: Answers needed on WakeMed cost impact
WakeMed and Atrium Health need to come to the table “prepared to answer” concerns about whether their proposed merger will fuel or moderate healthcare cost increases, Senate leader Phil Berger...
House Dems agreed with Burgin on merger oversight
House Democrats have lined up behind a merger-oversight bill for hospitals that’s substantively identical to the one Sen. Jim Burgin, R-Harnett, introduced on April 30. “We want a process to...

Budget & Taxes

State fiscal forecast improves

Fiscal forecasters now think the state government will bring in $1.3 billion more in the 2025-27 biennium to support its general fund than they were
ElectriCities speaks out against Barnes’ Rocky Mount bill
ElectriCities of North Carolina opposes state Sen. Lisa Barnes’ push to impose additional restrictions on how Rocky Mount’s government uses the revenue from its power and gas utilities. Barnes’ Senate...
GOP leaders agree to tax, worker-raise budget framework
House Speaker Destin Hall and Senate leader Phil Berger have a deal on state-employee salaries and tax policy that clears the way for legislators to finally finish their work on...

Education

N.C. A&T trustee resigns

Mark Copeland, vice chair of the N.C. A&T State University board of trustees, resigned from that post last week. Copeland’s resignation on April 24 came
Stein floats idea for funding job training
Within Gov. Josh Stein’s budget request for fiscal 2026-27 is a proposal to set up a new program called the “Strategic Workforce Training” fund to underwrite job training and similar...
Boliek asks SBI to probe N.C. A&T student-fee diversions
State Auditor Dave Boliek has asked the SBI to probe what he calls “gross misconduct” at N.C. A&T State University involving its use of about $5.1 million in student-fee money....

Elections

Wake Forest commissioner tabbed for Senate seat

Democratic Party leaders in Wake and Granville counties have named lawyer and Wake Forest Town Commissioner Haseeb Fatmi as the replacement for former state Sen.
Cohn’s hat in the ring for Everitt Senate seat
State Rep. Bryan Cohn, D-Granville, says he’s signaled to the Democratic leadership in the House and Senate that he’s willing to step in as a replacement for former Sen. Terence...
Majeed goes unaffiliated
Another Mecklenburg County legislator who lost in March’s Democratic Party primaries has turned in his membership card. District 99 Rep. Nasif Majeed announced via social media that he’s changing his...