Branded A Racist, Lawmaker Scales Back Tuition-Cut Proposal
A North Carolina lawmaker who proposed to slash tuition to just $500 a semester at five public universities says he is scaling back on the idea after running into mistrust and skepticism so fierce that he was called a racist.
Those colleges serve mostly blacks, American Indians and the poor.
Republican Sen. Tom Apodaca says he plans to drop the three historically black colleges from the bill. Apodaca is Hispanic.
The move came after North Carolina's NAACP called the proposed tuition cut a backdoor attempt to drive the historically black schools into bankruptcy.
North Carolina Senate Budget Adjustments Heading To Floor
The budget adjustments proposed by the North Carolina Senate for next year are heading to the floor after encountering little or no resistance in committees this week.
Debate and the first of two required votes on the $22.2 billion plan were scheduled Thursday in the chamber. The second vote was slated for early Friday, just after midnight.
The expected Senate budget approval will set the stage for negotiations with the House, which approved a competing plan two weeks ago. They want a final budget in Gov. Pat McCrory's hands by the end of the month.
North Carolina DMV Reminding Moped Owners About Insurance
The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles has sent a second notice to moped owners reminding them of the new law requiring them to be insured beginning in July.
Moped owners must provide DMV with proof of liability insurance coverage from their provider, or take a certificate of liability insurance form, available from their insurance carrier, to their local license plate agency.
Owners may also provide the insurance company's name and policy number to their local plate agency. Failure to provide proof of insurance to DMV could result in their license plate being revoked.
Retirement Benefit For Peace Corps Service Tripped Up
Bipartisan legislation allowing North Carolina public school teachers and government employees with previous Peace Corps service to improve their pensions has been side-tracked in the House after a strong majority originally supported the legislation.
The House initially voted 94-14 Tuesday for the bill, which would require workers to pay both their personal contribution and the government's share to "buy" retirement credits for up to five years in the Peace Corps.
But several Republican lawmakers asked Speaker Tim Moore to have their "yes" votes changed to "no," setting the stage for procedural motions to cancel the previous approval. Some legislators then criticized the bill, saying Peace Corps veterans shouldn't be treated the same as military veterans, who have a similar option.
SC House Passes Bill Clarifying Border Between Carolinas
The South Carolina House passed a bill clarifying South Carolina's border with North Carolina after two decades of work to use technology to measure it to the centimeter.
The House initially appeared to kill the bill Wednesday after an amendment passed allowing a $5,000 tax credit for people affected by the change. But members changed their mind after the credit was removed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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