Jeff Tiberii

This week on the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a farewell chat with Reporter Jess Clark, who departs WUNC for an education reporting position at WWNO in New Orleans.

This week in state politics, an overview of the first half of 2017, the heightened nature of partisan politics in North Carolina and the fighting between Governor Roy Cooper and state Legislature.

This week on the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a conversation about the end of the 2017 Legislative session, which wrapped up early Friday morning after five and a half months.

State lawmakers are heading home until August. After reaching a state budget deal, lawmakers passed a flurry of bills this week and departed early this morning. House speaker Tim Moore told reporters the legislature will be "in and out for the rest of the year," which is uncommon, but not unprecedented.

House Republicans have opened the door for the chamber to investigate North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall based on a lawmaker's allegations she issued notary public commissions to people who live in the U.S. illegally.

Republican state lawmakers are touting their final budget plan, which they say cuts taxes, provides teacher raises, and grows government spending by about 3 percent. Critics, including Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, say the plan fails to keep up with the growth of population and inflation.

This week in state politics, a discussion about redistricting, liquor sales on Sunday mornings, and driving too slow in the left lane.

Mitch Kokai of the John Locke Foundation, and Rob Schofield, of NC Policy Watch, join WUNC's Jeff Tiberii to discuss the week's news.

This week on the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a conversation about redistricting and gerrymandering.

This week in state politics, a conversation about a special session that wasn't and two bills making their way through the Legislature.

Republican lawmakers in North Carolina this week refused to hold a special session demanded by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to redraw General Assembly districts. Also, there's a proposed gun bill making its way through the Legislature and lawmakers are quickly advancing another bill that would overhaul the state's regulations on solar energy production.

Governor Roy Cooper is calling state lawmakers into a special session to redraw election maps. The unexpected announcement comes with the political boundaries having been struck down in the courts as illegal racial gerrymanders.

On this week's episode of the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a conversation about the House budget with Associated Press Statehouse Reporter Gary Robertson.

This week in state politics, a conversation about the state House budget, which lawmakers passed early Friday morning. The House plan would cut taxes, fund pay increases for some teachers, and give an across-the-board $1,000 raise to state employees. It would also add $260 million  to the state's 'rainy day' fund.

House Republicans are taking a turn in the budget spotlight as they detail their spending plan for the state. The $22.9 billion spending plan calls for about $350 million in tax cuts, provides teacher raises and more for state retirees. This budget is closer to the plan passed by the Republican-led state Senate, than the vision laid out by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper.

Updated at 11 a.m., May 22, 2017

State lawmakers were handed their latest legal defeat Monday, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down two of the state's congressional districts because race played too large a role in their creation. Since 2011, more than a dozen Republican-backed bills have been struck down in federal and state courts.

This week in state politics, a conversation about the "raise the age" bill, voter identification, and an audit detailing misuse of funds at the state's largest managed mental care organization.

On this edition of the WUNC politics podcast, a conversation with Rose Hoban of North Carolina Heath News.

The Supreme Court will not review North Carolina’s invalidated Voter ID Law, leaving in place a ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals that had struck down the law. A lower court ruled that some provisions in the law "target African Americans with almost surgical precision," and therefore unconstitutional.

On this episode of the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a conversation about the Senate budget with Loretta Boniti of Spectrum News.

The Senate passed a spending proposal, but not before some late-night wrangling and more than a few surprises.

The final spending bill wasn't passed until 3 a.m., well after many journalists thought.

This week in state politics, a look at the budget.

Jeff Tiberii talks with Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation and Rob Schofield of the N.C. Justice Center on the $22.9 billion spending plan passed by the North Carolina Senate.

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State Senators rolled out a $22.9 billion spending plan Tuesday afternoon at the General Assembly. This spending proposal represents an increase of 2.5 percent over the current budget and is a significant step in the protracted budget process.

On this episode of the WUNCPolitics podcast, memories of Mark Binker.

The widely respected journalist and experienced member of the North Carolina Capitol Press Corps, died unexpectedly Saturday morning. He was 43.

Mark Binker, a widely respected journalist and experienced member of the North Carolina Capitol Press Corps, died unexpectedly Saturday morning. He was 43.

Following last week's compromise on a repeal of House Bill 2, lawmakers turned their attention to a number of other notable issues including tax cuts, environmental regulations, executive authority, board of governor's elections, state courts and school calendars.