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Cooper Addresses HB2 In State Of The State
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper told North Carolina legislators to repeal the state's so called "bathroom bill," saying the law known as House Bill 2 is "the dark cloud hanging over our state of promise."
The new governor made the comments Monday night while giving his first "State of the State" address to a joint session of the House and Senate in Raleigh. The GOP-controlled legislature passed the law last year that limits LGBT rights and which restrooms transgender people can use in schools and other government buildings.
Cooper said North Carolina citizens are sick of hearing about the law and said it drains energy from the other work elected officials should be doing.
GOP Leader Calls Cooper's Vision A "Mirage"
The Republican leader of the North Carolina Senate called Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's vision for the state a "mirage" that would return the state to "our troubled past" of excessive government spending and high jobless rates.
Senate leader Phil Berger pre-recorded a Republican response to Cooper's State of the State address that highlighted GOP accomplishments and blasted Cooper, liberal interest groups and the media.
Berger says Cooper talks a lot about compromise but blames Cooper for urging Democratic lawmakers to oppose recent legislation to do away with House Bill 2.
Berger also derided the Left for organizing "vulgar rallies" and for criticizing Republicans as dishonest, immoral and bigoted.
Foundation Sets Up Scholarship Fund In Honor Of Darryl Hunt
The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation says it has established a $100,000 endowed scholarship fund in honor of the late Darryl Hunt, the man who spent nearly 19 years in prison before being exonerated in the death of a Winston-Salem newspaper editor.
The Winston-Salem Journal reports that starting in 2018, the fund will award a $1,000 scholarship to a Forsyth County resident who's been convicted of a crime and has served a jail or prison sentence. The money will help defray tuition and fees for students attending an accredited vocational or technical school, community college or college or university.
NC Lawmakers Want To Challenge NCAA, ACC Tax Status
Some North Carolina Republican legislators want to challenge the tax-exempt status of the NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference because they removed or threaten to remove championships from the state because of a law limiting LGBT rights.
The House members filed a bill Monday directing Senate and House leaders to file IRS complaints against the sports organizations. They would allege the groups are lobbying beyond what their charters allow through "economic retaliation" if House Bill 2 is not repealed.
Sponsor Rep. Mark Brody of Monroe says the NCAA and ACC have stepped out of bounds and he won't let the legislature relinquish its authority to them.
Penalties For "Sanctuary" Policies Back In House Committee
Legislation designed to penalize North Carolina local governments that discourage their police from checking the immigration status of criminal suspects and others is back before a House committee.
The House judicial panel meeting Tuesday marks the third time the bill filed by several Republicans has been discussed this session.
Cities or counties determined by the Attorney General's Office to have "sanctuary" policies for immigrants unlawfully in the country would see money from several pots of taxes be withheld. A 2015 state law prohibited those policies.
Weather Threatens Berry Growing Season
The unseasonably warm February weather in North Carolina accelerated the growing season for early-blooming strawberry and blueberry plants. But it's also left them vulnerable as the recent cold weather has local berry farmers worried about their crops.
North Carolina has the third largest commercial strawberry industry in the U.S., worth roughly $25 million in 2015. And farmers hope that cooler weather in February and March will hold the crops back from flowering.
North Carolina State University extension specialist Bill Cline says temperatures in the 70s and 80s last month had plants flowering several weeks earlier than he's ever seen, putting them at high risk for damage, and leaving farmers scrambling to protect their crops now that temperatures have dropped.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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