By:
On:
In: Farmers Market, Health, State news, State politics
With: 0 Comments

NORTH CAROLINA HEALTH NEWS | Farmer markets around the state will have another month in the busy summer growing season to figure out how to keep accepting food assistance benefits electronically at their stands. The National Association of Farmers Market Nutrition Programs (NAFMNP) announced Thursday it will send a month’s worth of  operating funds to technology company Nova Dia Group to keep its MarketLink software running until the end of August, according to a news release sent out Thursday. The move came just two weeks before 1,700 farmers markets around the county, including 45 in North Carolina, would have to stop accepting the  Electronic Benefit Cards (EBT)Read More →

By:
On:
In: Health, State news, State politics
With: 0 Comments

A bill seeks to address the problem of people languishing in hospital EDs, waiting for a psychiatric bed, but mental health advocates decried the process. North Carolina Health News In the waning days of this year’s legislative work session, lawmakers abruptly revived and passed a bill aimed at revising North Carolina’s laws to address the flood of people with mental health crises in hospital emergency departments. Officials from the state’s hospital association had convened administrators, advocacy organizations, academics, mental health professionals and others over several years to examine some legislative fixes. Those leading that effort say they’ve come up with a bill that will improveRead More →

By:
On:
In: Politics, State news, State politics
With: 0 Comments

NC Civitas | The state budget for FY 2018-19 contains nearly 170 line items totaling $30 million that are highly inappropriate or outright pork. Appropriations directing funding to local pet projects include items such as walking trails, playgrounds, county fairs and highway signs. Moreover, dozens of nonprofit organizations receive direct appropriations in the budget. Make no mistake, these nonprofits perform admirable work. However, it is highly inappropriate – and unfair favoritism – to single out nonprofits for specific appropriations of state tax dollars, instead of having them go through the appropriate grant process. There is little doubt that a large percentage, if not all, of theseRead More →

By:
On:
In: Education, Politics, State news, State politics
With: 0 Comments

Republican’s school safety plan makes some temporary changes, while giving lawmakers time to assess what else might be needed. Education NC |  Republican lawmakers announced at a press conference last month $35 million in school safety grants that made their way into the revised 2018-19 budget. The one-time money is meant to temporarily address school safety needs while the state gathers more information on what districts and schools require to protect students. “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step,” said Rep. David Lewis (R-Dunn). “I think this is an ongoing process.” Image courtesy: NCGA Republicans The school safety plan stems fromRead More →

By:
On:
In: Politics, State news, State politics
With: 0 Comments

Longleaf Politics |  The latest major court ruling stemming from the General Assembly’s infamous 2016 “power grab”1came on Friday, as the N.C. Supreme Court settled a battle between the state Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education over direct control of the public school system. Both the state superintendent and the Board of Education declared victory after the decision. But the ruling is very clearly in favor of the General Assembly and the elected superintendent. As it turns out, sometimes even a power grab results in clearer public policy. What was the lawsuit about? Let’s start all the way at the beginning: the state constitution. It sets up twoRead More →

By:
On:
In: Politics, State news, State politics
With: 0 Comments

Longleaf Politics | A recent memo sent by the N.C. Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association to its members this week provides us a revealing glimpse of how politics works in real life. The new deal with state lawmakers that the memo discloses is a little in the weeds. The bill in question is House Bill 500, currently under consideration. It’s an omnibus ABC bill, meaning that it makes a lot of little adjustments to the state’s alcohol laws. It passed the House last April and is now in Senate committees. The bill got a few new amendments in a Senate committee. One enables wholesale business owners to transferRead More →

By:
On:
In: Politics, State news, State politics
With: 0 Comments

Longleaf Politics | Hurricane Matthew struck eastern North Carolina on October 9, 2016. A full 18 months later, some of the first federally funded repairs are slated to begin this June. Hurricane Matthew has re-emerged as a political issue in Raleigh as thousands of people in eastern North Carolina await public money to rebuild. The storm was one of the most devastating in North Carolina’s history, killing 31 people and caused more than $4.8 billion in damage. Matthew set rainfall records in 17 counties, and 2,300 people were rescued from floodwaters. Why is recovery taking so long? It mostly has to do with the processes setRead More →

By:
On:
In: State news, State politics
With: 0 Comments

A lagoon for hog waste. Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Agriculture North Carolina Health News Now that neighbors to one hog farm have one court victory against the world’s largest pork producer, state legislators are moving to shield hog farms from nuisance lawsuits. This is not the first time the General Assembly has tightened protections for both livestock growers and the corporations that own the animals they raise. They’ve done it multiple times in recent years, sometimes in direct response to court cases. The 2018 farm bill, on a fast track for approval in Raleigh this week, would create a statute that says a farm cannot be consideredRead More →

By:
On:
In: State news, State politics
With: 0 Comments

Longleaf Politics The General Assembly is taking a highly unusual route toward accomplishing its even-year requirement, a budget adjustment bill. It’s a little complicated and hard to understand. But the way that House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger are choosing do to things has already drawn strong condemnation from Democrats, who are calling it a “sham” process. And while the state’s minority party is often hyperbolic and hypocritical in calling out political gamesmanship — this time, they might have a point. It’s all about November. Let’s get beyond the finger-pointing. Here is what’s actually happening. More  Read More →

By:
On:
In: Politics, State politics
With: 0 Comments

Editor’s note: This article in its original form contained erroneous information about N.C. Rep. Michael Speciale. That information has been removed. In notifying the Post about the error, Speciale said, “I raised $28,339.33 for the 2018 elections. I have no idea where you got that number, but I do not find it on your link. The information is incorrect, your comments call my integrity into question, and I ask that you remove this article and your comments … .” Craven County Republican Scott Dacey’s gamble didn’t pay off. Dacey gave up his seat on the Craven County Board of Commissioners in a quest to unseatRead More →