north carolina general assembly

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a measure Thursday written by Republicans and backed by social conservatives that addresses a doctor's responsibilities if a later-term abortion results in an infant born alive.

Cooper announced his decision two days after the General Assembly sent him a measure telling health care practitioners to grant those newborns the same protections as other patients. Those who don't could face a felony and active prison time, along with fines and potential civil damages.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina's legislature gave final passage Tuesday to a bill to require doctors and nurses to care for babies born alive during a failed late-term abortion or face big penalties, a measure opponents deemed legally unnecessary and a threat to abortion providers.

House lawmakers followed a day after Senate counterparts in approving the bill, which would mean prison time and big fines for medical practitioners who don't give children born despite a botched abortion the same protections as any other newborn.

With no discussion and little opposition the North Carolina Senate quickly passed S.B 154 that would allow sports and off-track betting at the Cherokee and Murphy casinos owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.  

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina House Republicans pushed legislation through their chamber Wednesday requiring all county sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration agents, particularly by complying with written requests to hold criminal defendants.

But the party-line 63-51 vote to force sheriffs to fulfill Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer requests signals that GOP lawmakers could find themselves short in overcoming any potential veto by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. The measure now goes to the Senate.

Asheville mayor Esther Manheimer says the city’s response has been delayed to a 2018 General Assembly measure forcing election districts to be created for future city council elections because Asheville did not have a city attorney for several months.  Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Manheimer says that all should change now that Brad Branham will take over as city attorney April 8th.

The North Carolina Democratic Party is calling on Western North Carolina Republican Rep. Cody Henson to resign after a criminal summons was issued against him this week by the Transylvania County's Sheriff's Office.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is ready to share his agenda to a North Carolina legislature that became more Democratic after November election results and to the public.

Cooper is delivering the biennial State of the State address on Monday evening to a joint session of the General Assembly at the Legislative Building.

Republicans still hold a majority in both the House and Senate but no longer have veto-proof control after Democrats picked up 16 additional seats. Cooper contributed to that improvement by raising millions of campaign dollars.

Henderson County Republican state representative Chuck McGrady is introducing a second bill in the General Assembly for this session that would create non-partisan redistricting in North Carolina.  This newest measure would leave the decision of whether changes are needed to redrawing of congressional and legislative election maps to voters via a proposed amendment to the state constitution.  If approved, it would be on the 2020 ballot.  Last week McGrady and supporters introduced a bill that would create an independent commission to handle redrawing of districts every ten years.  

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina legislature is weighing anew whether changing how liquor sales have been regulated for decades is worth boosting the number of retail outlets selling spirits with what critics call the risks of increased alcohol consumption.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Following a short break from the pomp of swearings-in, the North Carolina General Assembly returns to work in earnest Wednesday for a budget-writing session that traditionally lasts until early summer.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina Democratic legislator is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican incumbent Thom Tillis.

State Sen. Erica Smith, from Northampton County in the northeast, announced her 2020 bid to unseat Tillis on Saturday through social media and at a Democratic Party gathering in Charlotte. Smith is a math instructor and ordained minister first elected to the legislature in 2014.

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Trevor Fuller also announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination last week. Primaries are in March 2020.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina Democratic Party says it spent over $16 million during the past two-year election cycle — millions more than its Republican counterpart — on the way to picking up more General Assembly and statewide court seats.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina General Assembly opened a new two-year session Wednesday with Republicans still in charge but acknowledging Gov. Roy Cooper and other Democrats now have more pull thanks to their November election gains.

The House and Senate gaveled in at midday for one-day ceremonial and organizational meetings. Lawmakers will return in three weeks to begin the session in earnest.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The first half of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's term was confrontational even before it began, as Republican legislators rammed through laws swiping away some of his powers even before he got sworn in. He sued over those laws, issued a record number of vetoes — most of them overridden — and exchanged sharp rejoinders with the GOP.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Litigation challenging North Carolina legislative districts on arguments they excessively favor Republicans to the point of violating the state constitution will remain in state court.

A federal judge Wednesday ordered the case stay in Wake County Superior Court, where Democrats and election reform advocates filed their partisan gerrymandering lawsuit in November. U.S. District Judge Louise Flanagan wrote she'd explain her reasoning later.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina General Assembly has finalized legislation implementing the voter photo identification mandate approved in a statewide referendum last month.

The Senate voted 25-7 on Thursday to accept House changes to the measure and sent it to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, a voter ID opponent. Republicans in charge of the legislature can override a Cooper veto if they stay united.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A voter photo identification bill won state House approval Wednesday, a proposal now also altered to try to improve absentee ballot security in North Carolina in light of fraud allegations in a congressional district.

The House version of legislation detailing how a new constitutional amendment mandating photo ID to vote in person is carried out starting in mid-2019 also directs the state elections board next year to figure out how people requesting mail-in absentee ballots also must offer ID.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Legislation designed to carry out a new constitutional amendment requiring photo identification to vote in person in North Carolina is closing in on another key General Assembly vote.

The House scheduled floor debate Wednesday for the measure, which describes the types of ID cards that would qualify, along with a host of exceptions. The Senate approved a somewhat narrower version last week.

(UPDATE 10:57 a.m. Thursday) RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Photo identification requirements to vote in person in North Carolina have cleared one legislative chamber.

The Senate gave its final approval Thursday to the measure detailing qualifying IDs and exceptions. The measure received initial Senate approval Wednesday and now goes to the House, where it's likely to be debated next week in the ongoing lame-duck session.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina legislator's political committee will pay $4,500 while ending a campaign finance investigation stemming from a complaint filed by a Democratic activist against the Republican senator.

The state elections board voted unanimously Tuesday to accept the agreement offered by the campaign committee of four-term Sen. Ralph Hise of Mitchell County. The committee must give up $500 and reimburse the board $4,000 for investigation expenses.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina General Assembly reconvened Tuesday, with Republicans advancing their chief objective during the lame-duck session of passing a voter identification law to carry out a new constitutional amendment mandating photo ID.

The Senate and House gaveled in the session three weeks since Democrats won more than 15 additional legislative seats and broke the Republicans' veto-proof majorities come January.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina lawmakers on Monday began examining the details of the latest voter photo identification proposal, a day before they return to work to fulfill a photo ID mandate that voters agreed this month to put in the state constitution.

A legislative committee reviewed draft legislation to implement the new voter ID constitutional amendment and heard comments from the public. The General Assembly reconvenes Tuesday for an expected two-week session, with the voter ID law expected to be the chief focus.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democratic challengers have expanded vote advantages in some tight North Carolina state Senate races. That's putting the party on the verge of eliminating the Republicans' veto-proof majority in the chamber.

County election boards tallied final vote totals Friday to include late absentee and provisional ballots. Trailing candidates where margins are 1 percentage point or less can request recounts by early next week.