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Bill would ban local “guaranteed income” programs

The House may advance legislation that would bar cities and counties like Durham from experimenting with no-strings-attached “guaranteed income” programs. House Bill 859 would forbid them from enacting anything where “an individual is issued an unconditional cash payment on a regular basis to be used for any purpose by the...

By Ray Gronberg

May 6, 2025

Housing update

While there’s no shortage of bills in either chamber that seek to boost North Carolina’s housing supply, it’s far from clear which of them has the best chance of becoming law. The highest-profile of the proposals, House Bill 765, is scheduled for a hearing this morning in the House’s Housing...

By Ray Gronberg

May 6, 2025

A liability exemption for AI developers?

There’s no shortage of bills pending in both chambers that would address AI and its uses, but House Deputy Majority Whip Jake Johnson, R-Polk, is sponsoring one that’s actually on the move. House Bill 934 has two parts, and for business folks, the more interesting is the second. It would...

By Ray Gronberg

May 5, 2025

Bill seeks to regulate homeless encampments

Rep. Brian Biggs, R-Randolph, wants the House and Senate to lay down what he calls some “clear guidance” to cities and counties about the handling of homeless encampments. House Bill 781 would ban them on public property by default, but it would allow cities and counties to designate certain properties...

By Ray Gronberg

May 5, 2025

Black Caucus has a job for Boliek

Legislative Black Caucus leaders want State Auditor Dave Boliek and his staff to investigate the state’s assisted-living industry. Federal data from February of this year indicates that for-profit care homes “generate eight times more substantiated complaints per residence than nonprofits,” said Sen. Kandie Smith, D-Pitt. “That is not a rounding...

By Ray Gronberg

May 2, 2025

Berger on Tine

Senate leader Phil Berger is voicing cautious optimism about the Stein administration’s choice of a new Division of Motor Vehicles commissioner. The N.C. Department of Transportation announced this week that former state Rep. Paul Tine will take over from incumbent Commissioner Wayne Goodwin as of May 6. Berger said his...

By Ray Gronberg

May 2, 2025

Land-use lawsuits

House members would hit local governments in the pocketbook in some cases if their actions in a land-use dispute wind up sparking court action. By a 67-39 vote, the chamber passed House Bill 913 on Thursday and sent it on to the Senate. The bill includes a section that would...

By Ray Gronberg

May 2, 2025

House Agriculture backs repeal of solar tax break

Rep. Jimmy Dixon’s drive to repeal a property tax break for solar-power farms cleared its first committee hurdle on Wednesday, after he offered a compromise to critics of the move. As endorsed by the House’s Agriculture and Environment committee, House Bill 729 now proposes to phase in the repeal over...

By Welcome

May 1, 2025

Stein team picks former Rep. Tine to head DMV

Former state Rep. Paul Tine is set to become the next commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles. N.C. Department of Transportation officials announced the appointment on Wednesday, saying that Tine will start work on May 6. He replaces incumbent Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, a former House member, labor commissioner and...

By Ray Gronberg

May 1, 2025

Water rights near Triangle focus of Senate bill

Johnston County’s senator is pushing a bill he says could simplify his county’s water-resources planning. Senate Bill 605 surfaced in the chamber’s Agriculture Committee on Wednesday and is likely to receive further review there next week. As amended, Sen. Benton Sawrey’s bill would make it considerably easier to transfer water...

By Ray Gronberg

May 1, 2025

“Paper towns” bill advances

Last year’s deannexation of a portion of Summerfield may prompt a broader review of the state’s minimum-services “paper towns” originally founded to avoid annexation by larger cities. House Bill 801 cleared the chamber’s State and Local Government Committee on Tuesday and, pending a stop in Rules, appears headed to a...

By Ray Gronberg

May 1, 2025

Wolfspeed faces shareholder lawsuits

My boss, Dave Mildenberg, took a look last week at Wolfspeed’s problems, which include a widely-shorted stock and a $575 million balloon payment to note-holders that’s due next year. Oh, and the country’s new president doesn’t like the CHIPS Act, which is supposed to help underwrite the cost of Wolfspeed’s...

By Ray Gronberg

May 1, 2025

Boom staying home for engine-test work

Boom Supersonic has announced that it will test key components of the engines for its planned supersonic airliner at a site in Colorado near Denver. The company hopes to begin engine testing later this year. Its longer-term schedule still calls for it to start assembling the first of its airliners,...

By Ray Gronberg

April 28, 2025

HUD approves plan for Helene CDBG aid

The Trump administration has signed off on North Carolina’s plan to deploy $1.4 billion in CDBG disaster recovery money to help with the cleanup from Hurricane Helene. Gov. Josh Stein announced the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s OK of the plan on Friday, less than a month after...

By Ray Gronberg

April 28, 2025

Home bill moves forward

While the Senate was haggling over its budget proposal Wednesday evening, a House committee was endorsing a bill that could have far-reaching implications for housing and local land-use regulation. House Bill 765 cleared the chamber’s Housing and Development and is now on its way to Judiciary 2 for further review....

By Ray Gronberg

April 18, 2025