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Berger asks for recount, also files protest

As was widely expected, Senate leader Phil Berger has asked for a recount of the results in his District 26 GOP primary that show Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page beating him for the party nomination by 23 votes. The request came with a twist, namely that Berger wants the Rockingham...

By Ray Gronberg

March 18, 2026

Is there a precedent for Berger’s primary loss?

There’s no recent North Carolina precedent, if any, for Senate leader Phil Berger’s apparent GOP primary loss. The modern era of the General Assembly dates from the advent of gubernatorial succession in 1977. Since then, we’ve seen leadership changes in the House and Senate for many reasons, but never because...

By Ray Gronberg

March 17, 2026

VinFast intends to restart Chatham factory this year

Vietnamese electric-vehicle maker VinFast says it intends to resume construction of its planned North Carolina factory in Chatham County as early as next month, with an eye toward launching production there in 2028. But the company has revised its ambitions, telling local officials that it expects employment in the 1,400-job...

By Ray Gronberg

March 17, 2026

Merger of Duke service areas picks up support

Duke Energy’s proposed merger of its legacy service districts in the Carolinas has picked up support from state Attorney General Jeff Jackson, key environmental groups, the N.C. Public Staff and even some large business customers. Utility officials in recent days have given the N.C. Utilities Commission an agreed settlement with...

By Ray Gronberg

March 17, 2026

Revamp of Dental Board once again on tap

It’s possible that legislators will renew a push to change the composition of the state board that licenses dentists, to put the job of appointing members in the hands of North Carolina’s elected leaders instead of the dentists themselves. A joint House-Senate oversight committee is mulling whether to recommend a...

By Ray Gronberg

March 16, 2026

Meyer cites Justice Center’s “toolkit” for move

Outgoing state Sen. Graig Meyer, D-Orange, says he’s leaving the legislator to run the N.C. Justice Center because the nonprofit has “the full toolkit” to help swing the state’s politics in a more progressive direction. “I’ve long said that’s the job I would want if I was going to leave...

By Ray Gronberg

March 16, 2026

Mayor defending Rocky Mount casino-site deal, despite audit

Rocky Mount’s mayor is defending the city’s acquisition of a prospective casino site in 2023, even though State Auditor Dave Boliek’s staff says the purchase helped put the city in a financial hole. “This land makes a big difference in terms of creating live, work [and] play environments within the...

By Ray Gronberg

March 16, 2026

Hospital facility fees attacked — and defended

Stalled legislation that would restrict the use of “facility fees” by hospital systems could reduce healthcare costs for North Carolina families by at least $200 million a year. That’s the estimate from the N.C. Association of Health Plans, whose leader, Peter Daniel, spoke Tuesday to members of a House-Senate joint oversight...

By Ray Gronberg

March 11, 2026

Legislators briefed on Medicaid’s rising autism-care costs

Legislators balk when they see the financial cost of Medicaid-funded autism-care services, but the human costs of not paying bother them every bit as much. The House and Senate’s Medicaid oversight panel delved into the issue on Tuesday, hearing from the state Department of Health and Human Services that the...

By Ray Gronberg

March 11, 2026

A three-way stab at examining education

Gov. Josh Stein, Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall have announced the formation of a Blue Ribbon Commission on Public Education The 28-member group is directed to examine teacher training and student advancement, administrative operations, educational leadership, and accountability. Stein, Berger and Hall jointly appointed the panel’s...

By Ray Gronberg

March 11, 2026

Auditor reports on Rocky Mount’s troubles

A big pay increase for police was one of the early links in the chain of events that plunged Rocky Mount’s government into a financial crisis, State Auditor Dave Boliek and his aides say. Widely reported at the time, Rocky Mount’s 2023 decision to raise the starting pay of police...

By Ray Gronberg

March 10, 2026

Meyer resigns; Orange, Caswell and Person Dems to pick replacement

Orange, Person and Caswell counties need a new state senator. On Monday, District 23 Sen. Graig Meyer, D-Orange, announced that he’s resigning as of March 31 to become the executive director of the N.C. Justice Center. Meyer announced the move on Facebook, a day after posting there that the state...

By Ray Gronberg

March 10, 2026

Park Service: Last sections of Blue Ridge Parkway to reopen in late 2026

National Park Service officials say it’s going to take until late this year to repair enough of the damage from Hurricane Helene to get the full length of the Blue Ridge Parkway back in service. The remaining closures affect much of the parkway between Mount Mitchell and Linville Falls. Current...

By Ray Gronberg

March 9, 2026

Legislative quandary: Paying for the ferry system

Among the many questions that’s hanging fire amid the House-Senate budget deadlock is the future of North Carolina’s coastal ferry system. The chambers roughly settled on a package of capital aid for the system, the Fiscal Research Division’s Aaron Cornell told members of the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight committee earlier...

By Ray Gronberg

March 9, 2026

Get to know Rep. Ed Goodwin

The Lumbee’s ultimately successful fight for federal recognition has gotten a lot of attention over the years, but Chowan County Rep. Ed Goodwin has taken up the cause of another tribe — the Tuscarora. In each of the last three legislative sessions, the Republican has introduced a bill to extend...

By Ray Gronberg

March 9, 2026