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Let the hunt begin: pork and the state budget

Now that the state’s fiscal 2026-27 is out of the legislature and on Gov. Josh Stein’s desk, the search for its inevitable pork content has begun. Rep. Pricey Harrison’s staff has taken the first stab at this and figures there are almost $1.6 billion in one-time earmarks in the spending...

By Ray Gronberg

July 7, 2026

Berger explains delay of tax-loophole bill

Senate Republicans haven’t taken up a House bill that would close a property tax loophole because they want to address local taxation policy more broadly, Senate leader Phil Berger says. “We’ve got members who are looking at that,” he said of House Bill 1042, which has been parked in Senate...

By Ray Gronberg

July 6, 2026

Democrats question budget-bill prediction-markets tax

Democrats are voicing increasing criticism of a budget-bill provision that establishes a 6% tax on the net trading-fee revenue prediction markets receive from sports betting. Sens. Julie Mayfield and Michael Garrett, and Rep. Pricey Harrison, all questioned why legislators would set a lower tax rate than the 23% the state...

By Ray Gronberg

July 6, 2026

Ferry tolls trigger GOP dissent in Senate

Republican Sens. Bobby Hanig and Norman Sanderson say they voted against the budget bill because it requires the N.C. Department of Transportation to institute tolls on all of the state’s coastal ferries. The move is unfair to coastal residents and a threat to the economic vitality of eastern North Carolina,...

By Ray Gronberg

July 6, 2026

Page sues a Berger

Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page has sued one of Senate leader Phil Berger’s sons, alleging that he and the county government improperly retaliated against him for running against the elder Berger. Page’s federal-court lawsuit against Rockingham County Commission Kevin Berger, and the county government, contends the alleged retaliation also concerned...

By Ray Gronberg

July 6, 2026

RTP rolls out its 3.0 development standards

Tenants and landowners in Research Triangle Park have approved a set of new development standards that line up with park leadership’s vision for “RTP 3.0.” This is an expansion of the park’s push over the last decade or so to accommodate a broader range of development beyond just the corporate...

By Ray Gronberg

July 6, 2026

Duke gives up its Carolina Long Bay lease

Federal officials announced they’ve made a deal with Duke Energy to give it “partial reimbursement” for its $129.2 million offshore-wind lease south of Bald Head Island. Duke agreed to “voluntarily terminate” the lease it signed in 2022 and will use its money on other generating capacity. Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, CEO of...

By Ray Gronberg

July 6, 2026

Senate proposes time limits for local zoning reviews

Senators have passed and sent to the House a regulatory reform package that among other things would force cities and counties to act more quickly on land-use decisions. Senate Bill 1047 gives them a maximum of 135 days to act on a rezoning application, unless the developer involved agrees it...

By Ray Gronberg

June 29, 2026

Cohn back in race; Kiger replaces Stevens

Rep. Bryan Cohn, D-Granville, is back on the campaign trail after party leaders in Granville and Vance counties picked him to replace a candidate for the District 32 House seat who backed out of the race for health reasons. Cohn had intended to step down at the end of the...

By Ray Gronberg

June 29, 2026

Group urges Wake commish to put strings on WakeMed/Atrium deal

A Washington-based advocacy group is urging Wake County Commissioners to asked more questions and attach some strings to the proposed WakeMed-Atrium Health merger. The strings should include written commitments that WakeMed will preserve essential services, expand mental-health programs, and maintain its charity care community benefit standards, says the group United...

By Ray Gronberg

June 29, 2026

Church fight in the Senate

A revamp of the state’s laws for nonprofit corporations unexpected turned into a quarrel on the Senate floor about religious freedom and a threat to North Carolina’s churches. House Bill 517 cleared the chamber on a 32-10 vote, but only after Sen. Paul Lowe, D-Forsyth, objected to a section in...

By Ray Gronberg

June 29, 2026

Berger: I-77 clawback still undecided

Senators passed and sent back to the House an omnibus transportation bill, without adding to it any language that would penalize Charlotte-area governments that abandoned their support of the Interstate 77 widening project. If it’s addressed at all, the I-77 issue will be addressed in the state budget, Senate leader...

By Ray Gronberg

June 29, 2026

Lumbee vote adds to string of casino losses

Lumbee members’ lopsided rejection of a set of amendments to the tribal constitution “means the tribe does not have a path forward on gaming at this time,” their top legislator says. “But it does not mean our work stops,” says Alex Baker, speaker of the Lumbee Tribal Council. “It means...

By Ray Gronberg

June 29, 2026

Senators worry about AI-driven hospital billing

Senators have rewritten a House bill to ban insurance companies from using AI as “the sole basis” for denying the pre-approval of healthcare claims. The revised House Bill 565 also includes a section that forbids hospital and AI developers from using the technology to “upcode” billings for care. By that,...

By Ray Gronberg

June 29, 2026

Senate passes adversary land-buys bill

The Senate has passed and sent to the House a bill that would ban governments like China’s or their state-owned companies from buying North Carolina farmland, but not without turning aside a last-minute addition proposed by Democrats. Sen. Kandie Smith, D-Pitt, asked the chamber to add to House Bill 133...

By Ray Gronberg

June 29, 2026