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NC Death Row Prisoners To Argue Sentences Tainted By Race
North Carolina's highest court is to hear from six death row inmates who say a repealed law on race and capital punishment should still let them be resentenced to life without parole.
The state Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Monday and Tuesday in the cases of four death row inmates who briefly were resentenced to life without parole when legislators approved the Racial Justice Act in 2009. Legislators repealed the law in 2013.
Justices also are to hear from attorneys for two other death row prisoners whose Racial Justice Act claims weren't decided before the law's repeal.
Under the act, condemned men and women could seek a life sentence by using statistics to show that race tainted their trials.
North Carolina Allows Bar Code Ballots Despite Voter Outcry
North Carolina election officials are allowing bar code ballots in elections starting next year despite an outcry from voters uncertain that their choices will be accurately counted.
The State Board of Elections on Friday voted 3-2 to allow a voting-machine maker to sell equipment that converts votes into bar code data that is then tallied by the company's other machines.
Almost two dozen speakers urged the elections board to reject bar code systems because voters can't read the codes to check that they're correct.
Health Insurance Bill Will Be Law Without Cooper's Signature
Democratic Governor Roy Cooper said Sunday that a bipartisan health insurance measure will become law without his signature.
The measure was pushed through the legislature with help from several of North Carolina's largest trade organizations.
Supporters said Association Health Plans will make coverage more affordable to persons such as farmers and small business owners.
But Cooper said he has concerns about the legislation.
The measure will allow individual employers to come together based on similar trades or geographic locations and create health plans, as long as they have at least 500 people eligible for coverage.
Deal Reached To Eliminate More Standardized Testing In NC
North Carolina legislators have reached a compromise on doing away with more standardized testing in public schools.
The House and Senate hammered out an agreement between competing bills and scheduled final votes on the measure on Monday evening. If approved, the agreement would go to Gov. Roy Cooper's desk.
The legislation would end more than 20 end-of-course exams covering mostly high school subjects next school year. State law currently doesn't require these "North Carolina Final Exams," which had been used to comply with previous federal mandates.
The bill directs school districts to review local testing requirements periodically and reduce them if they exceed the statewide average. And local boards can't require students to complete graduation projects unless they agree to reimburse disadvantaged students up to $75 of project expenses.
Senator Kamala Harris Appears At Campaign Stop In Greensboro
U.S. Senator Kamala Harris was in Greensboro Sunday, making a campaign stop as she seeks the Democratic nomination for president.
The former prosecutor spoke to supporters in a packed gym at Smith High School. Harris says she's the Democrat who will be most able to make the case against the re-election of Republican Donald Trump.
She says she would do more than Trump to combat gun violence in America, making reference to a Texas mass shooting this month where the alleged shooter may have targeted Mexicans.
Harris also says that as president she would implement a green new deal and push for a middle-class tax cut paid for by repealing the Republican tax cuts that she says only benefit the wealthy and corporations.
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