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Partisan Struggle With Cooper Back In Court
Republican efforts in the North Carolina legislature to reduce Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's authority in choosing his Cabinet are back in court.
A three-judge panel scheduled arguments Friday on whether to extend their recent temporary block of a law requiring Senate confirmation of Cooper's Cabinet secretaries.
The GOP-controlled legislature passed the law shortly before Cooper took office, one of several provisions designed to limit Cooper's powers.
NC Appeals Court Temporarily Reinstates New Elections Law
A North Carolina appeals court has temporarily reinstated a state law that stripped the governor of his oversight of elections.
The law was approved by Republican lawmakers two weeks before Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper took office. It was blocked by a three-judge panel after Cooper sued.
The state Court of Appeals' decision Thursday means the law can be enforced while the court decides whether to take up a request by Republican legislative leaders to overturn the lower court's decision.
Democrats File HB2 Repeal Legislation With LGBT Protections
More legislation is being filed to repeal the North Carolina law known as House Bill 2, but the measures would also create LGBT anti-discrimination protections statewide.
Several Democratic lawmakers and representatives of gay rights groups held a news conference to announce the bills filed Thursday. They also urged Republican legislative leaders to act quickly on repeal or the state will face more economic losses. Worries have increased by some that HB2 will prevent the state from being awarded NCAA championship events for the next five years.
NC Budget Surplus Now Predicted At $550M
New numbers from the General Assembly and Gov. Roy Cooper's administration predict tax collections will be $552 million higher than what is needed to carry out the current state budget when the fiscal year ends June 30.
House and Senate Republican leaders trumpeted the surplus figure Thursday, and Cooper also said in a release growing revenue projections were welcome news.
Full-Go For NC Wind Farm That Politicians Claimed Is Threat
North Carolina's first large-scale wind farm is fully operational despite efforts by some of the state's most powerful politicians to shut down the $400 million operation as a possible national security threat.
Avangrid Renewables said Thursday its 104 wind turbines reaching 50-stories tall are generating enough electricity for 60,000 homes.
Ten North Carolina legislators including state House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger previously urged President Donald Trump's homeland security agency to shut down the wind farm. They say it's too close to the Navy's long-distance surveillance radar installation in nearby Chesapeake, Virginia.
The Pentagon says the two operations can coexist.
More Ruth's Salads Pimento Cheese Recalled In Southeast
Authorities have announced a wider recall of Ruth's Salads products after listeria was found in a batch of the spread maker's products at a South Carolina plant.
The South Carolina Agriculture Department said in a news release it has revoked the company's license to make food at the Chester plant until workers can clean and disinfect the facility.
The newly recalled products include all varieties of pimento cheese and cream cheese with pineapple and pecans.
Officials say any product labeled "Packed by B&H Foods, Inc., Chester, SC" should not be eaten and should be returned for a full refund.
Pimento spread labeled "Made in Charlotte, NC" was recalled in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee last week after North Carolina agriculture officials found listeria at a different Ruth's Salads plant.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Photo credit: WeissParz.com
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