It’s been a busy week at the state legislature as we enter what might be the final weeks of this year’s long session. Dozens of bills have passed the House and Senate in the past week alone, and many of them haven’t gotten much attention. To catch up on the noteworthy bills many of us missed, North Carolina Tribune Editor Ray Gronberg joins WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to discuss everything from new HOA regulations to a legislative effort to attract a TV or film production to the Cha...
Jun 30, 2023•33 min
Bills restricting transgender sports participation and access to healthcare are nearing final passage at the North Carolina legislature, but none of the 170 lawmakers who will decide their fate are transgender themselves. Transgender advocate and Iraq War veteran Vivian Taylor joins WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to discuss her perspective on what the legislation will mean for trans North Carolinians. She also talks about how the current national political climate on transgender issues...
Jun 23, 2023•38 min
Rep. Garland Pierce, D-Scotland, is one of the N.C. House’s closely watched moderate Democrats this session — a veteran lawmaker who sometimes crosses party lines on key issues, something that could make a difference on veto overrides this year. Pierce joins WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to explain his thinking on issues like transgender athlete restrictions, election law changes and more. And he talks about his bills to improve the foster care system and prevent a name change at Faye...
Jun 16, 2023•29 min
N.C. House and Senate budget writers are negotiating how much state workers will get in raises — at a time when nearly a quarter of positions in state government are vacant. The House has proposed a 4.25% raise starting in July, while the Senate prefers 2.5%. The State Employees Association of North Carolina is lobbying for a larger amount. SEANC executive director Ardis Watkins and Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson join WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to talk about raise proposals and the...
Jun 09, 2023•28 min
N.C. House Republicans are meeting soon to discuss whether they’ll pass a Senate bill to legalize medical marijuana. Senate Rules Chairman Bill Rabon is leading the charge, hoping his personal experience using marijuana to survive colon cancer treatments can persuade his GOP colleagues. Rabon, along with bipartisan bill co-sponsors — Sen. Paul Lowe, D-Forsyth, and Sen. Michael Lee, R-New Hanover — join WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to discuss the details of their proposal and what leg...
Jun 02, 2023•25 min
The N.C. Senate’s budget is approved, setting up negotiations with the House over tax cuts and how much state employees will get in their paychecks. But the budget debate was overshadowed by this week’s veto override on new abortion restrictions. Sen. Kandie Smith, D-Pitt, joins WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to sort through a busy week at the legislature. Smith also talks about her bill to add video streaming in the Senate and her bipartisan legislation to find alternatives to jail fo...
May 19, 2023•34 min
State legislators are considering how to spend about $1 billion in federal funding to address mental health care. Sen. Jim Burgin, R-Harnett, co-chairs health committees in the Senate and talks with WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell about his ideas for fixing mental health. Burgin also discusses new patient protection measures for hospital mergers and sales that he’s proposing with Attorney General Josh Stein. And he explains why he wants a Legislative Reform Commission to consider changi...
May 12, 2023•25 min
North Carolina’s legislature passed more than 100 different bills this week as it rushed to reach a “crossover” deadline. The agenda included several controversial pieces of conservative social legislation: A ban on abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, a ban on gender transition surgery for people under 18, and a repeal of the state’s concealed-carry gun permit requirements. To sort through the hectic action, WUNC’s Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell spoke with Hannah Schoenbaum, political re...
May 05, 2023•31 min
A shift to electric and fuel-efficient vehicles has left North Carolina with a shortage of revenue to pay for roads and other transportation needs — even as the state’s population booms and traffic gets worse. WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell talks with Sen. Mike Woodard, D-Durham, about a bipartisan effort to find new sources of revenue to replace the gas tax. Woodard also discusses his proposal to address what he calls “one of the stingiest” unemployment benefit programs in the country...
Apr 28, 2023•27 min
N.C. House Republicans are getting close to a consensus on how they’ll approach new abortion restrictions, medical marijuana legislation and private school vouchers. Speaker Tim Moore chats with WUNC’s Colin Campbell about where things stand and what to expect in the final months of the legislative session. And he shares details about his unusual trip to Ukraine during the legislature’s spring break.
Apr 21, 2023•18 min
Rep. Maria Cervania, D-Wake, is one of the first two Asian American women to be elected to the North Carolina legislature. She talks with WUNC’s Colin Campbell about why that representation is important, and why she’s creating a new Asian American Pacific Islander caucus. Cervania also discusses her opposition to legislation requiring sheriffs to cooperate with ICE, her bill to increase funding to combat e-cigarette use in teens, and her thoughts on Gov. Roy Cooper’s role in the House Democratic...
Apr 14, 2023•26 min
Days after Rep. Tricia Cotham cited personal attacks as part of her decision to switch to the Republican Party, state Rep. Jason Saine, R-Lincoln, shares his thoughts on today’s bitter political environment with WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell. Saine also talks about the highlights of the newly approved House budget, whether the favorable political landscape for sports betting could lead to casinos, and how the tiny crossroads community of Cat Square got its name.
Apr 07, 2023•36 min
State lawmakers are easing into their months-long session with bill filings, press conferences and committee meetings. Among the items on the horizon are budgets, abortion regulations and mental health funding. State Representative John Bell IV (R-Wayne), Senator Sydney Batch (D-Wake) and Rose Hoban, founder and editor at NC Health News, all share expectations for this legislative session. And later, Capitol Bureau Chief Jeff Tiberii signs off, with some reflections following eight years on the ...
Jan 25, 2023•25 min
There was, a lot, that happened in state politics across the last 12 months: Redistricting fights, budget deals, a landmark Leandro ruling, a primary was delayed, Congressman Cawthorn and Governor McCrory suffered bad defeats, Roe was upended, and neither Medicaid nor sports gambling was yet expanded. In a review of 2022, Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer think back on the year, dole out some coal, and reflect on the departures of three long-serving members of Congress.
Dec 16, 2022•16 min
After losing every statewide race during the November midterm, Democrats are licking their wounds and considering what they should do next. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, a number of progressives discuss what the party can do better, policy worth pursuing, and who might be the face of their efforts.
Dec 14, 2022•22 min
This week in state politics, a major redistricting case landed before the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, power turned back on and a curfew was lifted in Moore County, where gunfire vandalism to two substations left many in the dark. Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discuss those stories, as well as what to make of the comprising role Senator Thom Tillis has carved out for himself on Capitol Hill.
Dec 09, 2022•16 min
On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in a case from North Carolina – Moore v. Harper. The case stems from congressional redistricting that began a year ago. At the heart of the argument from North Carolina Republican lawmakers is something called the independent state legislature theory. In practice, it holds the potential to significantly upend who has power of federal election administration. On this episode of the Politics Podcast, Jeff talks with Charles Stewart, po...
Dec 06, 2022•21 min
This week in North Carolina politics, rank-and-file Republican state lawmakers again threw their support behind a couple of well-known leaders. On Capitol Hill, Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis voted with Democrats on the Respect for Marriage Act. And next week, the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in a case with the potential to significantly alter federal elections. In our weekly review, Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer discuss the details.
Dec 02, 2022•14 min
The landscape of a post-Roe world is still taking shape. There are many questions lingering about access to reproductive healthcare, as well as personal information and online privacy. On this episode of The Politics Podcast Matt Perault , Director of the Center on Technology Policy at UNC Chapel Hill, details some of the policy inconsistencies and forecasts what could happen next.
Nov 30, 2022•15 min
While a red wave didn’t materialize nationally, conservatives in North Carolina found very favorable results. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, three analysts offer insight on the electorate, and where state and American politics may head next.
Nov 16, 2022•29 min
North Carolina’s election results were largely favorable to Republicans on Tuesday night. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discuss what influenced the outcomes, why down-ballot candidates performed well, and where each party has room for improvement.
Nov 11, 2022•24 min
Republicans had a strong night in North Carolina on Tuesday, winning all seven statewide contests, and securing one supermajority in the state Senate. However, they fell one seat shy of a second veto-proof majority in the state House. On this episode of WUNC’s Politics Podcast, Will Michaels and Jeff Tiberii breakdown what the new landscape means and what could happen next.
Nov 09, 2022•23 min
With just a few days before the polls close and the 2022 Midterm results are announced, Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer offer some expectations for Tuesday night and discuss what stood out in this election cycle. Meanwhile, Governor Roy Cooper has tapped former UNC System Presidents Margaret Spellings and Tom Ross to review appointment procedures, but is it a commission Republicans will cooperate with?
Nov 04, 2022•16 min
With Election Day looming, WUNC’s Jeff Tiberii talks with a mix of journalists, a political scientist, a strategist, and a leading House Republican. They offer takeaways on what race is the most important on the ballot and what they will be watching most closely on Tuesday night, as well as a possible headline for November 9.
Nov 02, 2022•19 min
A million ballots have now been cast in North Carolina. But what, if anything, does the early turnout tell us? And in Washington, D.C., many briefs were filed in a case out of North Carolina that SCOTUS will hear in December. Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discuss those stories in our weekly review of state politics.
Oct 28, 2022•21 min
Courtney Geels is running for the U.S. House of Representatives this midterm. Her chances of victory are exceedingly slim, yet the Republican is still campaigning with a purpose, hoping to pull off an upset of the century. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Geels discusses why she decided to run for Congress, what she has learned, and some of the issues most important to her.
Oct 27, 2022•23 min
This week, many continued to grieve following a horrific act in northeast Raleigh. With one-stop early voting underway, the proverbial political winds might have shifted. And, new details in the state’s incentives package that lured Apple to RTP. Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer discuss those stories in their review of the week in state politics.
Oct 21, 2022•20 min
Voters will decide two state Supreme Court races this midterm, with the results potentially shifting partisan control of the bench. The fact that North Carolina even has partisan judicial elections is uncommon. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Michael Crowell discusses some of the pitfalls for how our state handles judicial elections, and why these races are so important.
Oct 19, 2022•23 min
A new report details political meddling as part of the search for a new chancellor at UNC Wilmington. Meanwhile, there are concerning vacancy rates at one state agency. And is there any possible replacement for political debates? Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discuss all this in our weekly review of North Carolina politics.
Oct 14, 2022•19 min
This fall, voters in Wake County will decide whether to approve three bonds – totaling more than $1 billion – to support new public schools, major improvements to community college infrastructure, and an improvement to several Raleigh city parks. WUNC reporter Jason deBruyn details the ballot questions, and forecasts their chances of earning approval.
Oct 12, 2022•24 min
