Independent. Informative. Intelligent.

Local

Water-transfer moratorium advances

Legislation that would temporarily block Charlotte’s attempt to claim a bigger share of the Catawba River’s water for itself is on the move, but it remains to be seen whether it’s moving fast enough. House Bill 850 cleared the Senate’s Agriculture committee on Tuesday. It still has to go through the...

By Ray Gronberg

June 26, 2025

“Carolinas Finest Seafood”

Shortly before reaching the capitol Tuesday morning, I passed a long line of trucks parked along the left side of Person Street. This was baffling — until I saw that a couple belonged to Pamlico Packing, aka “Carolina’s Finest Seafood.” That was the signal that what I’ll call the Great Shrimp...

By Ray Gronberg

June 26, 2025

Boliek: Let DMV hire more license examiners

State Auditor Dave Boliek says his staff’s review of the Division of Motor Vehicles has confirmed that the agency’s driver license offices are understaffed. “Current DMV workforce levels are insufficient to meet the needs of North Carolinians,” Boliek said. “To provide citizens the service level they expect and deserve, the DMV...

By Ray Gronberg

June 24, 2025

Senate proposes “first tranche” of JetZero aid

A “mini-budget” bill rolled out in Senate Appropriations on Monday includes what Senate leaders are describing as the “first tranche” of direct subsidies for the proposed JetZero airplane factory at Piedmont Triad International Airport. The rewritten House Bill 125 includes $252 million across the 2025-27 biennium for what it terms “a qualifying transformative project...

By Ray Gronberg

June 24, 2025

No biz-recovery grants in Senate Helene package

The Senate’s counteroffer on the latest Hurricane Helene relief package wouldn’t fund the business recovery grant program the House wants to launch. Rolled out in Senate Appropriations late Monday afternoon, the Senate’s rewrite of House Bill 1012 would release another $465 million from state reserves to cover Helene-related expenses. That’s in line with the...

By Ray Gronberg

June 24, 2025

Wolfspeed unveils outline of debt restructuring

Wolfspeed says it’ll file a Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring deal soon that will reduce the company’s overall debt by $4.6 billion, or 70%, and reduce annual cash interest payments by about 60%. In May, the Durham-based company warned investors that it may not be able to continue as a going concern,...

By Ray Gronberg

June 24, 2025

Toyota delays battery shipments from NC plant amid supply chain issues

For many months, Toyota executives from the CFO on down were saying they expected the company’s new battery factory near Liberty to start shipping batteries in April. But we’re all still waiting on a formal announcement that shipments have actually begun. And it’s looking like the lack of one isn’t...

By Ray Gronberg

June 24, 2025

Quarry near RDU prevails in permit dispute

Meanwhile, a different all-Republican Court of Appeals panel headed by Chief Judge Chris Dillon handed a victory to a Wake County quarrying operation that’s looking to expand near RDU Airport and Umstead State Park. Wake Stone — since late 2024 a part of Alabama-based Vulcan Materials — has been battling state regulators and local opposition...

By Ray Gronberg

June 23, 2025

Court of Appeals rules on a western CON fight

With the House and Senate providing the crossover crunch this week and last that didn’t happen in early May, it’s been difficult for the other branches of government to get a word in edgewise. But the state Court of Appeals has certainly tried, via a couple of business-related decisions. The...

By Ray Gronberg

June 23, 2025

Stein and Lilly go to Paris

Gov. Josh Stein’s aides confirmed Thursday that their boss and state Commerce Secretary Lee Lilly have been in France this week to attend the Paris Air Show. The trip comes on the heels of the recent announcement that California-based JetZero will build an airliner factory at Piedmont Triad International Airport, with...

By Ray Gronberg

June 20, 2025

PBM bill heads to conference

There’s going to be a House-Senate conference to resolve the differences the chambers have on the question of how to regulate pharmacy benefit managers. Senators on Thursday voted 31-9 against accepting the House’s attempt to reconcile the competing bills on the issue that have been pending this session. The dissenting votes came...

By Ray Gronberg

June 20, 2025

Senate unveils aid program for shrimpers

Senators on Thursday passed and sent on to the House the bill that would bar shrimp trawling in Pamlico Sound and other waters inside North Carolina’s barrier islands. The 39-2 vote on the rewritten House Bill 442 came only hours after Republicans rolled out a parallel measure that would at least partly...

By Ray Gronberg

June 20, 2025

NC Legislature passes bill easing nuclear expansion for Duke Energy

A bill that backers hope will make it easier for Duke Energy to meet the state’s carbon-reduction targets by building more nuclear reactors is headed to Gov. Josh Stein’s desk. The final version of Senate Bill 266 cleared its last hurdle on Thursday when the Senate accepted the changes the House made...

By Ray Gronberg

June 20, 2025

Shrimp trawling spawns wild floor debate

Pending a third-reading vote today, the Senate’s on the verge of supporting a ban on shrimp trawling in North Carolina waters other than in the Atlantic Ocean more than a half mile offshore. Senators on Wednesday voted 44-4 in favor of House Bill 442, which unexpectedly got amended in committee this week...

By Ray Gronberg

June 19, 2025

House approves Mecklenburg transit tax referendum 102-6

House members have voted 102-6 in favor of giving Mecklenburg County permission to call a referendum on raising the local-option sales tax rate by 1 cent to finance transit and road construction. Wednesday’s second-reading vote set the stage for House Bill 948 to clear the chamber and head to the Senate snext Tuesday. Legislative...

By Ray Gronberg

June 19, 2025