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Cooper Not Giving Up On Stopping Latest GOP Tax Breaks
Gov. Roy Cooper isn't giving up on trying to block the latest round of income tax rate cuts approved by the Republican-controlled legislature last summer from taking effect in 2019.
Cooper said in an interview Wednesday the tax breaks are a giveaway to corporations and benefit the wealthy. The governor told The Associated Press he wants to talk with GOP leaders about shifting benefits toward the middle class and spending more revenues on public education.
Republicans are unlikely to agree. Nearly all tax filers would pay less or pay no state personal income taxes at all under the plan. Senate leader Phil Berger said Wednesday previous GOP tax cuts have resulted in a strong economy and robust revenues.
Attempted Hack Results In Call For More NC Elections Security
North Carolina elections officials say more state workers are needed to address cybersecurity. This comes on the heels of an elections website being hacked last summer.
The State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement wants to boost its monitoring of election equipment, and increase background checks on employees.
The News and Observer reports that the board's executive director, Kim Strach, outlined future plans in an address to a Joint Legislative Election Oversight Committee last week.
Strach said there was an attempted hack of state agency websites in June. The hack was quickly shut down after the FBI notified election officials.
Strach recommended that the state board hire more dedicated IT staff with expertise in cybersecurity. And she warned more safeguards should be in place to ensure unsecured voting systems wouldn't be used in elections.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Comes To Forsyth County
A new initiative will provide free books for young children across North Carolina. Forsyth County officially launched the Dolly Parton Imagination Library this week.
Children enrolled in the program receive a new, age-appropriate book mailed to their home every month until their 5th birthday. The North Carolina General Assembly included $10.5 million in its most recent budget to implement the Imagination Library across the state. Some counties are already covered, others are in the process of rolling out the program.
Smart Start of Forsyth County is the local partner in the project. CEO Larry Villani says over 1,700 children are already signed up.
North Carolina Teen Facing New Charges In Fatal Crash
Police say a North Carolina teenager charged in a fatal wreck last weekend is facing additional charges.
The High Point Enterprise reports police initially charged 19-year-old Dwight Gray Jr. with driving while consuming alcohol under the age of 21. A news release on Wednesday said Gray was also charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Two passengers inside the car Gray was driving last Saturday died when the car crashed into a tree.
North Carolina Hip-Hop Group Indicted For Identity Theft
Federal prosecutors say seven members and associates of a North Carolina hip-hop group have been indicted for their part in a $1.2 million bank and identity theft fraud scheme.
The U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release Wednesday that members of the group known as the "FreeBandz Gang" defrauded banks through a check-cashing scheme involving worthless checks.
According to the indictment, the conspirators deposited fake or stolen checks into straw bank accounts, then withdrew money before the banks cleared the checks. In some instances, the conspirators paid people to open new bank accounts or to let the conspirators use their existing accounts and PIN numbers to carry out the fraud.