North Carolina Senate Democrats File Another HB2 Repeal Bill
North Carolina senators who want House Bill 2 off the books have again offered legislation to repeal the law limiting LGBT rights and directing which public bathrooms transgender people can use.
Four Senate Democrats sponsored repeal legislation filed Wednesday, but it's unlikely to get a hearing in the Republican-controlled chamber. GOP Senate leader Phil Berger has said he doesn't believe the votes are in his chamber for an outright repeal and says compromise would be required.
A sponsor of Wednesday's bill — Sen. Jeff Jackson of Charlotte — disagrees, saying he believes a majority of House and Senate members would support repeal if there was a floor vote.
Debt Panel Backs Proposal For Health Care, Pension Liability
A committee led by North Carolina's new state treasurer wants lawmakers to set aside money annually to tackle a future bill for state government retiree health care and to ensure pensioners are paid at promised levels for decades to come.
Treasurer Dale Folwell told the debt affordability panel Wednesday that bold action is needed to address unfunded pension and health care obligations, which was nearly $38 billion at last word.
Folwell's office says bond-rating agencies are looking closer at these liabilities. North Carolina is one of 12 states with the highest ratings from the three top agencies, which keep interest rates and borrowing costs low.
Cooper Not Yet Committed To Cabinet Confirmation Appearances
Gov. Roy Cooper isn't committing yet to having his Cabinet secretaries come before state Senate committees as part of their formal confirmation process. Cooper is challenging the requirement in court.
Senate Republican leaders laid out this week how they will scrutinize department heads chosen by the new Democratic governor, with the first in a committee meeting next week.
Cooper told reporters Wednesday he wants to talk with senators and "see if we can arrange something." He says he wants to avoid being confrontational and prefers senators wait on acting until his lawsuit is ruled upon.
School Board Joins Lawsuit Against North Carolina For Funds
New Hanover County schools have joined a lawsuit against the state Attorney General's Office, asking that money from an environmental settlement go to public schools.
The Star-News of Wilmington reported the lawsuit was filed last fall by the conservative Civitas Institute in Raleigh. The school board joined the lawsuit last month.
The lawsuit says then-Attorney General Roy Cooper improperly directed funds from the settlement with Smithfield Foods Inc. to environmental groups. New Attorney General Josh Stein is now the defendant.
The settlement was reached between Smithfield Foods and the governor's office after waste from hog arms washed into nearby streams during Hurricane Floyd in 1999.
State law says fines must be used for schools. The question is whether the settlement is a fine.
Corporal Punishment Continues Declining In NC Public Schools
North Carolina public schools continue phasing out student spankings, with corporal punishment last year happening half as often as the previous year and swats meted out in just four school districts.
A report to the State Board of Education on Thursday updates corporal punishment use in the state's 115 school districts.
The report says during the school year ending last May, 66 students were paddled a total of 73 times. Almost half those cases were reported by Robeson County, with the rest coming from schools in Graham, Macon and Wilson counties. Almost half the cases involved American Indian children, while white students made up most of the rest.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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