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Governor Vetoes Partisan Trial Court Elections
North Carolina's new Democratic governor has vetoed legislation by the state's GOP-controlled legislature to make the state's trial court judges appear with party labels on election ballots.
Gov. Roy Cooper says partisan politics has no place in electing judges who people want to be fair and impartial. It's the first proposed law Cooper has vetoed since becoming governor in January.
Cooper also could have to deal soon with bills reducing his ability to shape the state courts through filling vacancies. GOP lawmakers in December already passed a law making appellate court races partisan again.
Senate Republicans Unveil More Tax Cuts Totaling $1 Billion
Senate Republicans have rolled out a two-year tax plan they say would save the public $1 billion by cutting or eliminating taxes for nearly everyone.
Senate leader Phil Berger and GOP finance chiefs released their proposal Thursday.
The proposal would cut the personal income tax rate slightly and raise standard deductions — meaning less of a wage-earner's income would be subject to income taxes. The corporate tax rate also would fall over two years from 3 percent to 2.5 percent.
Wake Forest University Reports Confirmed Case Of Meningitis
An undergraduate student at Wake Forest University has tested positive for meningitis.
For privacy reasons, the university is not releasing the student's name, but the school has notified individuals who may have had close contact with the student.
According to a press release, the individual is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. No other recent cases of meningitis have been reported at Wake Forest. There was a confirmed case reported last week at Elon University.
Huge Fire Engulfs Apartment Building Under Construction In Raleigh
Firefighters have extinguished a massive late-night fire that engulfed an apartment building under construction in North Carolina's capital city.
Raleigh police spokeswoman Laura Hourigan says preliminary information indicates there were no injuries.
The fire began shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday in the building in downtown Raleigh, The fire was under control shortly after 1 a.m.
Firefighters were still looking to control hot spots, but flames were out.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
School Choice Advocate Allison Joins UNC Governing Board
A longtime North Carolina school choice advocate is joining the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.
The Senate voted unanimously Thursday for Darrell Allison to serve out the final two years of the term held previously by John Fennebresque, who stepped down while chairman in late 2015. The Senate and House elect the board's voting members, with each chamber selecting half of them.
Allison is the founding president of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, which has lobbied successfully at expanding the number of charter schools and creating a program in which taxpayer-funded scholarships are used for families to send their children to private or religious schools.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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