US Government, Lawyers Want Voter ID Ruling Enforced
The federal government and others who sued to overturn North Carolina's voter identification law have told the U.S. Supreme Court that keeping the photo ID mandate in place for the November elections would harm black voters and increase confusion.
The plaintiffs filed Thursday their response to last week's request by state officials that a ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals be delayed while the state asks justices to consider issues in the case. The voter ID mandate would be enforced and there would be 10 early voting days — not 17 — if the state is successful.
Poll Says HB2 Hurting State's Reputation
A poll released this week suggests North Carolina's controversial HB2 is hurting the state's reputation.
The Monmouth University poll found that more than half of those surveyed disapprove of HB2. And 70 percent thought the legislation gave North Carolina a bad reputation nationally.
Among other things, the wide-ranging law dictates what bathroom a transgender person must use.
Name Change Approved For Aycock Middle School
Aycock Middle School in Greensboro will be renamed in the 2017-18 school year.
The News and Record of Greensboro reports the Guilford County Board of Education voted 9-2 Thursday night to make the change.
The school is named for Charles B. Aycock, a former North Carolina governor who supported white supremacism.
One board member said the school's name should be held up to community values and standards.
A majority of people who responded to a school board survey opposed changing the name, but the overall response to the survey was low.
The board will again turn to the public for help in renaming the school.
Former North Carolina Lawmaker Aaron Plyler Dies At Age 89
Former state Sen. Aaron Plyler, a lawmaker who wielded power over the state budget and was a strong advocate of higher education, has died. He was 89.
Linda Sims of Gordon Funeral Service confirmed that Plyler died on Tuesday. The cause of death was unknown.
Plyler was elected to the House in 1974 and Senate in 1982. The Charlotte Observer reports he rose to become chairman of a budget committee and a member of a super subcommittee, a handful of lawmakers who wrote the state budget behind closed doors.
Plyler also was a strong advocate of higher education and played a pivotal role in the growth of UNC Charlotte.
Development Robs Panthers Fans Of Prime Parking Spaces
A development boom means fans of the Carolina Panthers will need to reverse field to find parking and tailgating space in uptown Charlotte during the upcoming season.
The Charlotte Observer reports with the loss of parking lots at the newspaper's old site, the prime spaces in the shadows of Bank of America Stadium are no longer available. The first test of reduced parking spaces comes Friday night when the Panthers host the New England Patriots in a preseason game.
Ben Sands, general manager at Preferred Parking, said the project means there are nearly 500 fewer parking spots at which to tailgate before games this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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