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Worried About Video Poker, Cooper Vetoes Casino Night Bill
Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed legislation that would make casino nights and some raffles already run by nonprofits officially legal because he's worried it could open the door for illegal video poker operations to resurface.
Cooper announced the veto Wednesday — his seventh since taking office. Republicans overrode the first five, while a sixth is pending.
The governor says he's not opposed to legitimate nonprofits holding game nights occasionally for worthy causes. But he believes the bill language could cause unintended problems and allow the video poker industry to "masquerade" as a charity.
North Carolina City Says 'No' To Early Sunday Alcohol Sales
A North Carolina city has rejected the idea of early Sunday alcohol sales.
The Board of Aldermen in New Bern entertained a motion to adopt the measure during its meeting on Tuesday. Alderman Jeffrey Odham made the motion, but no one offered to second it and there was no vote.
Opponents of the proposal said it would deter people from going to church.
The Raleigh City Council voted last Wednesday for an ordinance allowing local Alcoholic Beverage Control permit holders to serve drinks at 10 a.m. instead of noon. Carrboro's Board of Aldermen passed a similar ordinance last week. The changes by the two municipalities began last weekend.
Atlantic Beach and Surf City have also adopted early Sunday alcohol sales.
Judge: Restrictions Barring Legislative Visits Too Broad
A judge will alter pre-trial release restrictions for some demonstrators arrested at the North Carolina General Assembly in May that bar them from entering the Legislative Building.
Wake County District Court Judge Michael Denning said Wednesday the release requirements set by a magistrate were too broad. Denning says he'll set modified conditions but didn't immediately give specifics.
State NAACP president the Rev. William Barber attended the hearing. He and more than 30 others were arrested during the legislative sit-in and charged with second-degree trespassing.
Coal Ash Neighbors: Don't Raise Rates As Pollution Lingers
The nation's largest electric company wants regulators to force consumers in North Carolina to pay nearly $200 million a year to clean up the toxic byproducts of burning coal.
The request by Duke Energy Corp. doesn't sit well with neighbors of the power plants who have been living on bottled water since toxic chemicals appeared in nearby wells.
Nancy Gurley of Goldsboro says it's not fair for the $59 billion company to pass its mistakes on to consumers.
North Carolina Police Officer Charged In Pedestrian's Death
A North Carolina police officer is charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle after he struck and killed a pedestrian while responding to a call at speeds that officials said reached around 100 mph.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney told reporters Wednesday that 24-year-old Officer Phillip Barker was placed on administrative leave without pay in light of the charge.
Police spokesman Andrew Harris said last weekend that 28-year-old James Short was hit as he tried to cross a street near uptown Charlotte around 3:20 a.m. Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.