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Start Of NC Child Services Overhaul Given Final OK
The General Assembly has agreed to start overhauling North Carolina's child welfare and social services system to encourage more regional oversight and correct problems identified in a recent federal review.
The House voted Wednesday to accept changes approved by the Senate, sending the bill to Gov. Roy Cooper's desk.
The measure would create a working group of experts and organizational leaders to make recommendations, including how to improve collaboration and accountability. It would also allow counties to combine social services departments but doesn't mandate consolidation.
Bill Seeks To Limit Leadership Terms In General Assembly
Legislation moving through the House would let North Carolina voters decide whether to limit the leadership terms of the General Assembly's two most powerful members.
A bill advanced Wednesday by a House judiciary committee would put a constitutional amendment on the November 2018 ballot that asks voters whether the House speaker and Senate president pro tempore should be restricted to four consecutive two-year terms.
Senate Committee To Weigh In On Bill To Fight Opioid Abuse
Legislation aimed at reducing opioid abuse and overdoses in North Carolina is being considered in the Senate.
The bill, which is expected to be voted on Thursday in the Senate Health Care committee, would improve the rules on prescribing and dispensing drugs like Oxycontin or morphine. It would also strengthen requirements for doctors and pharmacists on the use of a statewide controlled substance database.
The measure has already received unanimous bipartisan support from the House.
Bill Allows $200 Fine For Slow Drivers Who Don't Move Over
Drivers beware. Those caught bogging down traffic while travelling in the left lane in North Carolina could face a $200 fine under advancing legislation.
A House judiciary committee passed a bill Wednesday that would make it illegal for someone to block the steady flow of traffic by cruising in the passing lane.
Bill sponsors call it a public safety issue. They say drivers travelling below the speed limit in the left lane create tight clusters, which can cause accidents.
Insurers: We're Off The Hook, Duke Energy Knew Coal Ash Risk
Dozens of insurance companies say they're not obligated to help pay for Duke Energy Corp.'s multi-billion dollar coal ash cleanup. They say the nation's largest electric company long knew about but did nothing to reduce the threat of potentially toxic pollutants.
The claim is in a filing by lawyers for nearly 30 international and domestic insurance companies Duke Energy sued in March. The Charlotte-based company wants to force insurance payments to cover part of the utility's coal ash cleanup in the Carolinas.
The insurers say they're not paying because Duke Energy stored its coal ash in unlined pits as part of its normal business practices. Insurance company lawyers say no distinct pollution events triggered coverage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.