Cooper Plans To Sue To Keep 2 Amendment Questions Off Ballot
Gov. Roy Cooper contends ballot language approved by Republican lawmakers describing two proposed constitutional amendments are so false and misleading the courts must prevent voting on them.
Cooper's office announced Saturday he would sue Monday in Wake County court to block two of the six amendment referendums set for this fall's ballots. Public disclosure of the litigation came hours after the General Assembly overrode Cooper's veto of a measure taking from a state panel the job of writing titles for the six questions.
Cooper targets amendments that would shift powers from the executive branch to the legislature on filling judicial vacancies and appointing members of the state elections board and other commissions.
North Carolina Board Weighs Early-Vote Plans In 15 Counties
The panel that oversees administration of North Carolina's elections is settling disagreements in 15 counties about where and when early voting sites should open this fall.
The State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement set aside several hours Sunday to consider competing plans by Democrats and Republicans in each county and then make final decisions.
County elections boards must approve early-voting schedules unanimously, or the state board steps in.
A new law requires more uniform opening and closing times for early-voting sites statewide, including sites open on weekends in counties.
Winston-Salem City Council To Vote On Five Bond Orders For November Ballot
The Winston-Salem City Council will hold a public hearing Monday to discuss several bond proposals for the November ballot. The money would fund continuations of many projects that have already been started.
The proposed 2018 bond package totals $122 million and focuses on five areas: economic development, housing, public safety facilities, parks and recreation, and streets and sidewalks.
Street paving is a major point on the list. There's also proposed neighborhood revitalization in the East Ward and redevelopment along Liberty Street.
The money would also help fund a new fire station on the south end of the city to address some coverage issues there and replace Fire Station No. 3, which is located on Liberty Street.
If approved by voters in the fall, the bonds would be funded by a 4 cent increase in the city's property tax rate. That means a person who has a home valued at $150,000 could expect to pay around $60 more a year.
Activists Float Dialogue Over Hog Farm Nuisance Lawsuits
Activists in the heart of North Carolina's pork country say contract hog farmers and their neighbors should start talking about solutions.
The Herald-Sun of Durham reports that community organizers in Duplin County called for dialogue Saturday after a federal jury again decided pork giant Smithfield Foods is responsible for millions in damages linked to industrial-scale hog operations.
Jurors on Friday hit Smithfield Foods with a $473 million verdict over how Pender County farms operated. Juries in two earlier cases awarded more than $75 million.
Salisbury Post Reduces Print Schedule Amid Newsprint Tariffs
Amid rising costs associated with new tariffs, a North Carolina community newspaper has announced a reduction in its print schedule.
The Salisbury Post will print five days a week starting Aug. 11, ceasing print publication on Mondays and Saturdays. The newspaper says its Monday and Saturday print editions were its least profitable.
The newspaper says it has experienced a nearly 30 percent increase in materials cost, and newsprint prices are expected to keep increasing. Tariffs have also affected the price of aluminum plates used to print the paper.
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